Stolen
by captainswanouat
Summary: AU [no curse]: Emma has grown up as a princess and is now betrothed to Prince Eric against her own will. However, after wandering into the enchanted forest, her life gets turn upside down when she's captured by an overconfident pirate with a hook for a hand. But what happens when she feels herself beginning to fall for him?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello there everyone! So this is a totally AU story; there was never a curse so Emma was raised as a princess by Snow White and Charming. She also never had Henry. And Prince Eric is very made up as well haha. I'm pretty excited to see where this goes, so I hope you all enjoy it as well! **

**Also regarding the rating; the prologue is rated T, but will go up to M for the next chapter (and further chapters), so I'm just leaving the rating as is for now.**

* * *

Emma sat in the window of her room, looking out over the land her parents ruled. She did this frequently; it was a way for her to clear her thoughts, especially on days when her mind was racing. Days like this. She wasn't happy with her life or what was about to happen, but as a princess she had to put on a smiling face for kingdom. Nobody could know she didn't want any of this. There was a slight knock on her door and she turned her attention to the sound of the noise.

"Come in," she spoke softly, smiling at the sight of her mother entering her room.

"Haven't seen much of you today, just wanted to make sure you were alright," Snow White said as she made her way over to her daughter. Emma jumped down from the window ledge and sat down on her bed, Snow joining her shortly after.

"I'm fine, just taking everything in."

"You know you can say you're fine all you want but I know you're not. I am your mother after all."

"I just-" Emma paused as her eyes met her mother's. Snow looked so understanding, but she knew that if she told her how she felt, she wouldn't be happy

"Yes?"

"I… I don't want to marry Eric," Emma finally admitted, fiddling with the lacy fabric of her dress.

Snow smiled and pulled her daughter close. "Honey, it's just pre-marriage nerves. Even I had some doubts before marrying your father."

"First off, I doubt that. Second off, it's not nerves mom. I really don't want to marry him."

"Emma," Snow said sternly, "I know that this is hard for you to understand, but this is what's best for the kingdom and-"

"But what about what's best for me?" Emma asked suddenly. "What about what I want? Do you honestly think that arranging a marriage between me and a man that I hardly know is what I want?" Emma was on the verge of tears as she spoke. She had felt this way since her mother told her the news. Their kingdom was in trouble because of a curse that Rumpelstiltskin planned to put on the land. Snow and Charming had tried to convince him otherwise, but were in no way about to make a deal with someone as evil and vile as Rumple. So the only way to keep everyone safe from the dark magic approaching was to join forces with the neighboring kingdom. The King knew of a counter spell to resist the magic and was more than willing to help Snow White and Charming keep their land safe; the only catch was that Emma had to take his son Eric's hand in marriage. After contemplating and arguing for hours, Snow White and Charming decided it was best for everyone to take the deal. Well, everyone but their own daughter.

"Emma, we don't have a choice. If you don't marry Eric the whole kingdom will be destroyed," Snow tried to console her daughter best she could as she spoke.

"Do you honestly believe that though? That there is no other way?"

Snow sighed and looked her daughter in the eye. "Honestly, I don't know. For now though, yes. It's the only way."

Emma stood up and walked to her desk, opening up the small box with the ring it. She stared at it, outlining the diamond with her eyes, and then slowly closed the box. "I just can't do this mom. I don't love him and it doesn't feel right. You of all people should understand how much an arranged marriage can hurt someone."

Before Snow could speak, Emma set the box down and grabbed the jacket off her dresser. "I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back later." Emma left the room quickly and out of the palace, needing an escape. Something. Anything.

* * *

Emma found herself wandering the palace gardens regularly. Especially when all of the flowers were in bloom. It was peaceful and magical, full of color and soothing to her problems. Even if just for a moment. She picked a lily from its stem as she paced around the grounds, inhaling its scent and smiling. It reminded her of innocence and simpler times; times when she could run freely without any responsibilities or a care in the world; back when she was young and so full of life. Oh how times had changed.

She looked beyond the garden to the enchanted forest. Snow had always warned to never go in it. Even as a child her adventurous side yearned to know what was beyond the kingdom and in the woods; see why it was so dangerous. She never was able to find out. Something always stopped her when she would try to sneak off. And now, as a young woman, the ache was still there. After noticing she was completely alone, she decided to soothe her wondering thoughts and hastily made her way towards the woods, praying she wouldn't be caught.

Once inside the woods she felt free, rebellious, scared, and excited all at once. This was something she never thought she'd experience. The vast space and openness of the enchanted forest; she longed to know what was so enchanting about it. She turned around and made sure the palace was still in her sights as she began wandering around, through the trees and the brush. There were endless possibilities to what she could encounter. And for a split second, a crazy thought crossed her mind. She could run away. Leave. Never come back. Never have to deal with the absurdity of marrying a man she didn't love. As quickly as the thought crossed her mind it vanished, as she realized how hurt her parents would be if she was to do that. This sobered her adventurous needs and she quickly stopped and turned back around to head home. The thought of something happening to her and her mother and father having to deal with it was something she couldn't fathom.

A branch snapping stopped her in her tracks. She looked around but didn't see anyone, or anything for that matter.

"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone there?" After no response or further noise she shrugged her shoulders, assuming she was hearing things. Suddenly another branch snapped. This time she knew it wasn't just her imagination. "Who's there?" she called out once again. A deep voice unexpectedly spoke, causing her to jump around to face the source.

"Well men, I do believe we've found ourselves a princess."

The last thing Emma remembered was the sight of a metal hook gleaming in the sunlight before her entire world went black.


	2. Chapter 1 -- Tied Up

**A/N: Oh my gosh, thank you to everyone that favorited/reviewed this! It seriously means so much and you're all wonderful. I wasn't expecting to get 40 follows in like 4 days. That's crazy. So thank you again! I was gonna put this chapter up yesterday but got busy with homework, so sorry about that! But here is the first official chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Emma's head was throbbing and her vision was blurry when she woke up. She took in the unfamiliar smell of the room she was in and suddenly everything hit her like a freight train.

This wasn't her bed.

This wasn't her room.

In a panic she sat up and hit her head on the low hanging ceiling above the bed. "Shit," she swore under her breath. A quiet laugh from the corner of the room caused her head to turn abruptly toward the sound of the noise. A leather-clad man sat in one of the chairs in the room, the dark lighting making it hard for her to see who he was or what he looked like. The man stood up and made his way to the bed. As he entered the light, Emma caught sight of the same metal hook she saw before blacking out. "Who the hell are you?" she questioned as the man smirked.

"Killian Jones," he answered, Emma taking note of his thick accent. "But some people like to refer to me by my more interesting moniker, Hook," he said while indicating to the hook that sat in place of his left hand. She took in his appearance, slightly surprised at what she saw. He wore all black for his attire, including a knee length coat that draped over his leather pants. Emma noticed not only that he appeared to be somewhat close to her age, but that he was painfully good looking.

"Where the fuck am I?!" she nearly screamed. His eyes widened in surprised and he chuckled.

"You're on my ship, love."

"Your ship?" Suddenly everything clicked. "Wait. You're a… pirate?"

"Captain," he responded proudly causing her to roll her eyes. "Now, you haven't told me your name, princess."

She opened her mouth to tell him and then angrily crossed her arms across her chest. "Yeah and I don't have to."

"Well if you would rather me just call you princess, I'm fine with that."

Emma's eyes narrowed at him as a sigh escaped her lips. If there was one thing she hated in this world, it was pet names. "Emma. My names Emma," she replied, getting a gut feeling that he wasn't about to stop with the trivial nicknames. "You seriously have to take me home."

Hook laughed and slowly moved closer to the bed, his good hand lightly brushing over her cheek. "That's not going to happen, _Emma_." He made sure to add extra emphasis to her name as it dripped from his lips. His voice was low and as much as she hated to admit it, it sent chills down her spine.

"Well then," she said, slowly grabbing the sheets in her hand, "I guess I'll just have to get home myself." She shoved him back roughly and threw the sheets off her body while lunging for the door. To her surprised, Hook's arm suddenly wrapped tightly around her body and pulled her back. "Not so fast love," he growled, throwing her back down on the bed. She attempted to get past him again, but he grabbed her and this time pulled her tight against his chest. "Darling, if you wanted to be close to me all you had to do was ask," he said while raising an eyebrow at her and smirking. She shoved herself free and sat on the bed, defeated, with a huff of annoyance leaving her lips.

"Now here's how this works," Hook began. "You, mi'lady, are going to stay aboard this wonderful vessel until your lovely family sends out a search party for you. Once that happens, we'll tell them that you are on this ship and that the only way to get you back is to pay the price we ask for. Savy?" He leaned close to her, his breath hot against her neck. "Plus I could use the company of a woman," he said while placing his hand on her thigh before slowly beginning to move it forward. Emma slapped his hand away and he pulled back, still smiling. "You're quite feisty, aren't you lass?"

She held his gaze and raised an eyebrow at him. "I can if I want to be." Hook took his good hand and ran it softly through her hair, his lips curling into a tight smile.

"Well then it's a good thing for you that I like that."

Emma rolled her eyes and glanced away from him quickly. "Listen, I just want to go home-"

"You will. Eventually. But until then, you should make the most of your time aboard. We'll be sailing through the night-"

"Where are we going!?"

"Nowhere in particular. We're pirates love; sometimes we just sail for the hell of it." Hook grabbed a rope off of the table and caught her eyes with his. "Now, since you seem to be prone to running away, you've left me no choice but to have to tie you up." A smirk spread across his face as he grabbed her wrist and tied it to the bed. Emma began trying to free herself with her other hand but he quickly tied it to the other bed post. She was a mix of terrified and impressed that he could somehow tie her up with only one free hand. He slowly backed up and watched as she tried to free her hands, to no avail.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she questioned when she caught him nearly gleaming from watching her struggle.

"Well, it's not every day that I have such royalty in my bed. Especially not in such a compromising state." A grin spread across his face as he stepped towards her and sat on the edge of the bed. "Now tell me something love, why was someone of your status walking about the enchanted forest alone?"

She sighed and sat up best she could in the bed. "I-" she stopped and thought about what she was going to say. No way was she going to tell him the truth. That she wanted an escape from the kingdom and the life she was being forced into. That would just give him more leverage over her. "I just wanted to see what was out there… clear my head. Why?"

"Curious. Didn't people tell you to never walk alone in the woods? You never know what you might run into," he raised an eyebrow at her and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What, like an overconfident pirate that has to fluff his ego every time he speaks? I don't think I have anything to worry about."

"Ah you say that lass but who is the one tied up right now?" Hook leaned in close to her face, his lips inches from hers. Her breath hitched in her throat as his lips gently grazed the top of hers. Inside she was screaming to pull away from him somehow but instead she lay there, motionless. Her eyes fluttered shut, expecting him to close the gap between them but was caught off guard when he abruptly pulled away and got off the bed.

"Wh-where are you going?" she questioned as her cheeks flushed red and she tried to catch her breath, angry that he even had the power to leave her stomach in knots.

"Why, would you rather I stay?" A sly smile spread across his face as he let out a small chuckle. She quickly realized he did that to get under her skin, to make her skin burn. To show he had leverage over her.

"You can leave, trust me, I don't care," she spat back. He shrugged his shoulders and opened the door to head back to the deck of the ship.

"Whatever you say. Enjoy the rest of your day, _Emma_." And just like that she was all alone, tied up, and still trying to control the butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

A light knock on the door captured her attention away from her thoughts. "Come in," she said softly, expecting to see her captor enter the room. But she was pleasantly surprised to instead be greeted by a shorter man with a full platter of food.

"Hello there miss, the cap'n wanted me to bring you your dinner," he said sweetly while placing the tray on the bed.

"What, could he not do it himself?"

"He didn't say. I just do what he orders. He also said I can untie you so you can eat, but I have to stay in the room with you."

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. But just so you know, I'm not gonna run, so you really don't have to stay."

The man began untying the ropes and shook his head. "Sorry ma'am, captain's orders." He freed her wrists from the terrible rope burn she was getting and sat down opposite the bed in one of the chairs. "Just let me know when you're through."

Emma looked down at the tray of food in front of her and was pleasantly shocked at how much he brought for her; along with how appetizing it actually looked. As she began to eat, they sat in complete silence and she could feel the man's eyes on her. She decided to finally break the silence, wanting to escape the awkward tension enveloping the room. "So, what's your name?"

"Smee. William Smee," he replied while beaming at her.

"How long have you been part of the crew?"

"For a long while now. Lost track of exactly how long."

She raised an eyebrow at him while continuing to eat the delicious food on the tray. "Really? Do you like it that much?"

"I wouldn't trade it for the world. Being out at sea 'as always been a dream of mine. Can't see myself doing anything else." His face was gleaming as he began to tell her of some of the adventures he had taken while apart of the crew. Adventures to faraway lands; many she had only heard of through whispers and hearsay in the castle. She was intrigued most by the land they called Neverland; never growing old and being free sounded like heaven to her. As she opened her mouth to ask more about the magical land, Smee noticed Emma had finished eating.

"Oh, I guess I'll be taking that out of yer way now miss," he said while getting up and grabbing the tray. He went to tie the ropes back up but stopped when he noticed the look on her face; her eyes were begging him not to.

"The ropes are incredibly uncomfortable. Can you just leave them off? I promise I won't run."

Smee smiled and put the rope down. "I guess I can just this once. But if the Cap'n asks, you freed yourself."

Emma laughed as he walked towards the doorway. "Thanks for talking with me Smee. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime miss." He nodded his head at her and left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Emma finally decided to get up and roam around the room, looking at the different little treasures and antiques on the shelves. She figured they were things that Hook had acquired during his travels and many of them were actually more beautiful than she would have thought. She found a little box that appeared to be made of gold with delicate engravings along the side. Carefully, she opened the box and music began to erupt from it. She jumped and shut the box quickly, hoping that nobody on the deck heard it. After a few moments of silence she went about her snooping, but was quickly halted when she heard footsteps coming down to the room. She jumped back into the bed and glanced out the window, noticing that night had fallen on them. The door knob turned and the pompous pirate entered, looking over at his bookshelf.

"We're you… up?" he questioned.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope…"

"I know I heard that music box go off and the only-" His eyes were suddenly drawn to the rope lying on the table. He clenched his fist and snatched it from its place before walking towards the bed. "That bastard didn't listen to me."

She put her hands up to stop him and as he gave her a confused look. "Please don't. The rope is REALLY uncomfortable. I promise I won't run. Just don't tie me up. Please Hook."

Hook scrunched his eyebrows and soon met her pleading eyes. A smile spread across his face and gently grabbed her wrist, running his thumb along the red, irritated skin. Her body shivered at his touch and she mentally slapped herself while turning her gaze away from him. After a moment or two of silence he finally spoke, much more quiet then she anticipated.

"Listen love, as of right now I don't trust you. And I know for a fact you don't trust me. So how about we make a bit of a… compromise," he tied the rope around her wrist, much more loosely than before. "I'll just tie up one hand. And YOU can prove to me that I can actually trust you, by not untying yourself." She was mesmerized by his voice as he tied the knot around her wrist, watching his every motion. All she could do was nod her head in agreement as he attached the other end of the rope to the bed post.

"Now be a good girl and I'll be back in a bit," he whispered before leaving the room. As soon as the door was closed she let out a frustrated groan and stared at her immobilized wrist.

"What the fuck is wrong with me," she said out loud while leaning her head against the wall behind her. She could still feel his light touch on her wrist and she despised that he could make her feel like a giddy little girl. She prided herself on having full self-control of her emotions and feelings, and now a man she had known for less than a day had the ability to break through all of that. And never before had someone had someone been able to turn her into a nervous wreck, make her skin burn with desire with just a touch to her wrist. Before her brain could process anymore, the door flew open again and just like that he was back.

"Well, I guess it's time for bed love," he said while taking off his jacket and placing it on the chair at the table.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that I have a bedtime now," she replied back while rolling her eyes. Hook smirked and sauntered over to her, placing his good hand on the edge of the bed.

"You sleep when I sleep because you're in MY bed, lass."

"I didn't exactly pick where I was sleeping. I'll gladly sleep somewhere else."

"No you won't," he said with a smile. She raised her eyebrows at him, questioning exactly what he meant by this. "Besides, I doubt you want to share a cabin with any of the crew. So, that leaves you here. Don't worry," he leaned in close to her ear, his voice a low whisper, "I don't bite."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she searched for a clever line to throw back in his face. But nothing came out. Hook smiled victoriously and walked over to what appeared to be some sort of a closet. "I'm assuming you don't want to sleep in that dress, so you can wear one of my shirts," he said while tossing one to Emma.

"I'd rather just stay in the dress, _thanks_," she replied while throwing the shirt back. His lips curled into a half smile and he shrugged, putting it back behind the closet door.

"Whatever you say love." He began to unbutton the shirt he was wearing and Emma quickly glanced away, although her attention was dying to turn back to him and take in his appearance. Hook saw her looking out the window and chuckled while throwing his shirt into the closet and closing the door. Even though she thought she was being conspicuous, he could tell that she would turn to puddy in his hands; something he thought he might have some fun with. He walked over to Emma, who still kept her attention focused out of the window and gave her leg a little tap. "Excuse me princess, could you move over a bit."

Without meeting his gaze, Emma began to move further away from him but was stopped quickly by her wrist that was attached to the bed post. "Well, I would, except YOU tied me up. I can't go any further than this." She slid back over to the right side of the bed and soon found Hook's lips close to her ear.

"Well then," his voice got deep again and he placed his good hand across her chest. "I guess I'll have to sleep on the other side." Slowly, he brought his legs up and straddled her body, hovering slightly and finally tilting her head towards his with his hook. "If that's okay with you, that is," he questioned. All Emma could do was nod her head as her body burned and her cheeks flushed red. He smirked down at her as he turned himself over and laid down beside her. "Good night love," he said while turning to face the wall. Emma was still catching her breath and she sunk down and against the pillow.

"Night," she said softly. She curled into the pillow and slightly smiled to herself.

_Maybe this wouldn't be that bad._


	3. Chapter 2 -- Hidden

**A/N: First off, sorry if you got notified about this chapter twice. It was actually brought to my attention that some of what I originally wrote for this chapter doesn't actually apply to the Fairy Tale World _(kinda spaced they don't have electricity oops_) so I re-typed it and re-posted it. But it's all fixed! Definitely harder to write from the Fairy Tale World standpoint then the regular world ha. Shouldn't happen again! Second off, I've come to the conclusion I'm going to try to space out each chapter to be out every 3 or 4ish days. I'm only planning on there being maybe 10 or 11 chapters, so I don't want it to be over super quick! Thank you again to everyone that reviewed, you're all wonderful and I'm glad you're liking feisty Emma :) Keep the reviews coming! It really does help with writing the chapters! **

**And now that I'm done rambling, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Emma's eyes fluttered open to the morning sun pouring through the window next to the bed. After allowing her eyes to adjust she sat up in the bed, surprised to see that Hook was already up. As she went to get out of the bed her arm was caught and she sank back into the pillow, shooting a glare at the rope that kept her attached to the bed. She remembered the promise she made to not break herself free but the skin around her wrist was so irritated that she decided untying herself for a moment wouldn't hurt anyone. Just as she was reaching for the rope the door to the cabin flew open.

"We need to hide you, quick!" Hook said while frantically looking around the room.

Emma stared at him, not exactly understanding his haste. "Why?" she questioned.

"We have company," he gritted through this teeth. Emma raised a confused eyebrow at him but before she could ask what was going on she heard unfamiliar voices on the deck.

"_There is no princess on board!"_

"_Then let us do a quick search of the vessel,"_

Her eyes widened as they made contact with Hook's. She had an internal battle as whether or not to scream for help, but before her brain could even really process the situation, Hook was freeing her wrist from its constrains.

"We have to hide you," Hook said again while putting his hand over her mouth and grabbing her out of the bed. He eyed the closet and carried her over, opening the slightly ajar door with his foot. In a swift movement he took her into the closet and closed the door, setting her feet down and pulling her strongly against his chest. "Now love, please stay quiet," he whispered in her ear.

Emma's back was to him and he kept his hand securely around her mouth while his other arm snaked around her lower torso. She could feel the heat rising from his body as he steadied his breathing. "Hook, why-" Hook abruptly pulled her against him again as his lips hovered above her ear. "Keep your voice down love." His voice sent shivers down her spine as she felt her body reluctantly lean back against him, relaxing into place. "That's a good girl," he whispered, his voice low and breathy. Her dress hung off her shoulder just right that the skin between her neck and shoulder was visible to him. And an idea crossed his mind.

He slowly brought his lips to the crook of her neck and he felt her body jump in reaction. A mischievous smile spread across his face and he left a trail of kisses from her neck to the edge of her shoulder. "Hook, what the hell are you doing," Emma finally breathed out, her body burning from his touch. She had known this man for a day and he could somehow already turn her into a nervous mess; and she hated it.

"I'm enjoying my time princess," he breathed against her neck as he trailed his kisses up to her ear. He detached his hand from her mouth and moved it down her arm, gently stroking her skin. She leaned her head back against his shoulder as he continued leaving kisses around her skin. He trailed his lips up to her ear and lightly nipped at it, causing Emma to sigh softly and lean further back into him. "Emma," he growled in her ear, adjusting his arm around her waist. He was going to continue his treatments when he heard the door to the room open, causing them to jump and his hand to quickly make its way back to her mouth. Hook closed his eyes and held Emma close against him, hoping that the men in the room wouldn't open the closet door. After and agonizing minute or so the footsteps walked out of room, followed by the slam of the door. Hook moved his hand from her mouth and they both let out a sigh of relief.

"That was a close one," Hook said while a slight laugh. All Emma could do was nod in agreement and he raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "What's the matter?"

"Just… trying to catch my breath," she finally breathed out.

Hook grinned and brought his lips to her ear. "Ah, you're breathless love? I tend to have that effect on women." Suddenly Emma's brain snapped back to reality and she shoved his arm off of her torso, freeing herself from his grasp.

"Fuck you," she spat at him while fixing the sleeve of her dress, covering her shoulder up. He smirked at her and slowly opened the closet door.

"Ah, now there's an idea that I most certainly won't object to!" Emma's eyes shifted towards him, piercing him like daggers, and he put his arms up in defense. "Lass, you can't act like you didn't enjoy that."

Emma walked back into the room, crossing her arms across her chest. "I didn't," she responded, causing him to chuckle while closing the door to the closet.

"You're just mad that I bested you."

Emma stopped and turned to face him, her eyes darkening with fury, all the while he just smiled at her with a raised eyebrow. "Listen to me _Hook_," spite dripped from her lips when she said his name. "You didn't 'best' me at all. I just wasn't thinking straight. Trust me; being with you is the last thing that I want."

"Whatever you say _princess_," he said with a condescending tone.

Emma rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed as he walked over and began tying her to the bedpost again, silence taking over the two of them. After a moment he stopped and stared down at the rope, before slowly removing it and putting it on the table. "What are you doing?" she questioned.

"Well it's very clear to me that you, in fact, don't want to get caught," Hook responded with a devilish smile. "So there is no need to tie you up."

"What makes you think I don't want to get caught?" He raised an eyebrow at her and placed his hand beside her as her feet draped over the edge of the bed.

"Because you didn't scream for help once," he replied blatantly, her eyes widening in surprise. He did have a point.

"Oh… um…" she was looking for an excuse, some sort of justification. "You… have a hook for a hand and I didn't want chance it," she replied, trying to sound as confident as she could.

He grabbed a strand of her hair and twisted it between his fingers while catching her eyes with his. "You know I won't hurt you love." He held up his hook and examined it before glancing back at Emma. "I would only use this if the situation demands it. And trust me lass, you are never going to be that situation." His lips curled into a grin and he leaned forward and brought his lips to the outer shell of her ear. "Unless, of course, you're into that."

Emma rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted groan as she roughly shoved him away. "You're disgusting!" He chuckled and grabbed the rope again, causing her eyes to widen a bit. "Wait, you said that you weren't going to tie me up!"

"Aye, but since you've _insisted_ my assumption that you didn't want to be saved was incorrect, you've left me no choice. Don't want to risk you scurrying off." Emma crossed her arms across her chest and his lips began to curl, slightly enthralled by her stubbornness. "Come on love, don't be difficult."

"Fuck off."

"Oh, such a vulgar phrase. That's no way for a princess to be speaking." Emma went to shove him against his chest but he quickly grabbed her wrist with his good hand. "Nice try love." He wrapped the rope around her wrist and tied the other end to the bed post while Emma watched him with a scowl on her face. "I'll be back to bring you your lunch and dinner later. Try not to get into too much trouble," he said with a pat on her leg. She glared at him as he left the room and she slowly fell back onto the pillow.

* * *

The day played out like Emma had figured. Hook only came around when she needed something to eat or drink; he would flirt with her, she would shoot him down, and he would leave. Night soon fell over them and the room was casted into a dark abyss. Emma glanced around the room, trying to find a source of light when the light of a small flickering candle caught her eye. The candles in the stand in the corner of the room had all burned out besides one that was close to losing its luminosity. She got out of bed and reached for the candle, knowing she could re-light the rest with its lone flare, but was stopped inches from it by her bound wrist. An aggravated groan left her mouth and she began tugging on the rope, trying to put more slack in the twine. She reached once again but still came up short.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said while eying the rope. She quickly began loosening the knot, annoyed that she even had to be tied down. She was so preoccupied with detaching herself from the rope that she didn't even hear the door to the cabin open. Hook stood in the corner of the room, watching her struggle with the knot before coughing quietly to himself. Emma jumped and turned around, her eyes wide when she came face to face with the pirate.

"You know love, if you wanted light in the room all you had to do was ask," he said while slowly lighting the rest of the candles on the stand, illuminating the room. She rolled her eyes and sat back down on the bed as Hook followed her every movement and towered above her. "Plus, I thought we had an agreement."

"We do! I just-"

"Ah, no excuses love," he said while meeting her eyes. "I guess I can let it go this once, but next time I won't be so… forgiving." As he spoke he slowly closed the gap between their faces. They sat there for a moment, neither one of them saying a word, both of them feeling the other's breath on their faces, before Emma finally backed away, eyeing him cautiously. Hook shrugged and walked over to the closet. "I know it's still early in the evening but I've had quite the long day, so if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep." Emma nodded and moved so that there was enough room to her left for him to sleep. She began straightening out the creases in her dress and it caught Hook's attention.

"We need to get you out of that tattered dress. Here love, sleep in this," he said while throwing a shirt and pants in her direction. She gave him an annoyed look while bundling up the clothes in her hands.

"I really don't want to sleep in your clothes."

"They're not mine."

Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she studied the clothes in her hands. Sure enough, they were women's clothes; slightly worn in, but surely nothing that Hook had ever worn. "Why do you have these?"

"That is a discussion that we _won't_ be having." Emma looked at him with worry in her eyes as his eyes shifted towards the ground. Although she was curious, she could tell he had a wall up and it was going to take a lot more than her pressing him to get him to talk. Suddenly a wave of hurt flooded in his eyes as he clutched another outfit in his hands. "You can wear this tomorrow." He threw the outfit over the top of one of the chairs at his desk before working the buttons on his own shirt. Emma slid under the covers but caught his eye, narrowing hers slightly.

"I'm going to change. Don't get any ideas." Hook smirked as she disappeared under the blankets of the bed.

* * *

Changing clothes while momentarily tied to a bedpost is something Emma soon found out was harder than it seemed. She was able to pull the pants on fine under her dress, but the realization soon hit that there was no way that she would be able to get the shirt over her head or pry her corset off. She peaked above the blankets and saw Hook standing against the door frame of the closet, chest exposed with his arms firmly crossed over the top. "Problem love?"

"Yeah I need you to untie me so I can put the shirt on." Hook nodded his head and walked over to her, untying the rope with a smug grin on his face. "What?" Emma questioned when she noticed his expression.

"You know you don't need to cover up on my account," Hook said while running his fingertips softly down her arm. He raised his eyebrows at her, receiving an eye roll from Emma as she sat up, trying to reach the zipper on her dress. After a few moments of watching her struggle, Hook grabbed her hands, catching her attention. "Let me help you."

"I can do it myself; I don't need your help." Hook put his arms up and shrugged his shoulders while stepping back and watching her carefully. Emma let out an exasperated groan and lowered her arms at her side. "Fine. Help me."

"What's the magic word?" he teased as she narrowed her eyes in his direction.

"Please." The word left her mouth dripping with spite as his lips curled into a smile. He placed the curved edge of his hook softly against her back while moving the zipper down, exposing the skin on her back and the delicate lacing of a white corset. Emma held the dress in place across her chest and once she felt the it falling off her back she pulled away from Hook and shifted her eyes in his direction. "Thank you. Now turn around."

Hook furrowed his eyebrows at her and crossed his arms over chest. "Do you honestly think that you can get that off by yourself?" he questioned. Emma sighed and reached around to her back, feeling for the laces and tugging on them when she made contact. She felt the tight material lift off her body but she was only able to undo a few of the cross laces. Hook plastered a smirk on his face and moved her hands away as Emma pulled the dress tighter to her chest, reluctantly letting him help her... again. He delicately loosened the strings and Emma finally felt her body freeing from the material. As Hook undid the last lace and stepped away from her, eyeing her carefully.

"Thanks..." she said quietly while holding her dress up with one hand and grabbing the shirt with another. Hook chuckled to himself and Emma turned her head towards him. "What now?"

"Why are you so terrified of me seeing you without a shirt on love? It's nothing I haven't seen before," he said as his signature smirk spread across his face.

"I am NOT scared."

"Prove it," he countered, raising an eyebrow. Not one to back down from a challenge, Emma sat up straight and slightly turned towards him.

"Fine," she let the dress fall off her chest while keeping a hold of the corset and Hook's eyes widened, not entirely expecting her to actually go through with it. She shimmed the dress down the length of her body and pulled it off in one swift motion, watching it fall to the floor beside her. She moved her arm across her chest while grabbing the corset with her other hand and tossing it into the heap her dress lay in. Hook didn't take his eyes off her for a second, taking in the sight of every new curve that was now visible to him; undressing the rest of her with his eyes. She grabbed the shirt off the bed and with one hand pulled it over her head, making sure her arm was kept in place across her chest. Hook's body visibly slumped as she situated the material over her upper torso and shot a sly smile in his direction. "Happy?"

"That hardly classifies as me seeing you with no shirt on love," Hook said softly while wandering over to her, "but we'll discuss that another night. Now, be a good girl and move over." Emma gave him a look of annoyance as she shifted her position to the far side of the bed, giving Hook room to sit beside her. He grabbed the rope off the hardwood floor and turned to face her, holding up the twine in his hands. "Give me your hand, love."

"Do you REALLY have to tie me up? Do you honestly think I'm going to go anywhere?"

"You haven't fully gained my trust, so therefore I don't know what you're going to do. Hand, please."

"Hook… please just let me sleep without it." Emma's eyes pleaded with his as she spoke, but Hook just simply shook his head

"There isn't a thing you could do that would make me change my mind," he said quietly while leaning in closer to her. Emma raised her eyebrows at him as a smile spread across her face and devilish idea popped up in her head. Although she was above begging for anything, she could never pass up the opportunity to prove him wrong. She slowly brought her hand up and gently grazed the top of his chest, moving her fingers up to his shoulders. His breath hitched his throat as she ran her hands up and down his chest, ghosting her fingers everywhere she moved.

"Please Hook?" she said in nearly a whisper, moving her body closer to his. Hook could feel the heat radiating from her body as he swallowed the spit that had collected in throat.

"You can try to seduce me all you want, but it's not going to work," he managed to breathe out as he felt her get even closer to him, her lips grazing over his ear.

"Please?" she said again as she left a trail of kisses from the back of his ear down his neck. He let out a quiet sigh as her hand moved behind his neck and turned his head so he was facing her. She leaned her face closer to his, their foreheads briefly touching. "I promise I won't run." Her words were soft and ran through his mind like poison; what she was doing was working and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Her lips skinned the top of his as she begged again, leaving a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Hook shut his eyes and tilted his head back slightly, as she trailed kisses down his neck.

"Gods Emma," he growled out as she continued, pulling herself even closer to him. "Fine. You win. I won't tie you up," he breathed out, causing Emma's lips to curl into a victorious smirk.

"And THAT is how you best someone," she said while laying down and turning her body away from his and snuggling into her new and much more comfortable outfit. "Goodnight Hook." He shifted his gaze towards her, still fuming mad.

"Bloody minx," he said under his breath while turning to stare at the ceiling, trying to calm down himself down. He could still feel Emma's touch on his chest, cursing himself for allowing her to have that power over him. It was supposed to be him doing the besting; turning her into a nervous mess and make her fall for him. Not the other way around. He glanced over at her, staring at her long golden curls and quietly sighed to himself. Getting women to fawn over him had never been a problem, until he met Emma. She was just supposed to be a prisoner; an easy way for him to collect his gold he required while still enjoying the company of a woman in his bed. But the day's events proved to him that this was going to end up being much more than that. Her stubbornness and feisty tone intrigued him; it was something different, something he never had to deal with before. As a pirate he always loved a challenge; and he had no doubt in his mind that Emma was going to be the biggest challenge yet.


	4. Chapter 3 -- Answers

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. It has been a LONG week but thank goodness it's finally the weekend. On top of all the work I had to get done this week I had a serious writer's block for this chapter. I knew what I wanted to have happen, just not how to really write it. It's a few days later than I had planned, but here you all go! Next chapter should be out quicker! I'm going to be on Spring Break soon and I will be writing like a mad woman haha. And thanks again for your reviews and for all the follows :) They seriously make my day!**

* * *

The next few days that passed were like a confusing blur to Emma. She stayed locked in Hook's room with her main source of company being her constantly running thoughts. Living in solitude left her wondering what was happening outside the confines of the ship and when she was going to be rescued. There hadn't been chatter of anyone coming to save her except for when the men boarded the ship days before. She had figured that was a good enough reason for the Captain to finally reach out to them, tell them he had her, get his money and let her go. But to her knowledge he hadn't yet. And the constant guilt about what he parents were dealing with was looming around her mind. She sat at the window and let a tear slip down her cheek as she watched the ship split the waves as they traveled to god knows where. Emma missed her home; her family and friends. As slightly exciting and adventurous as it was being on an actual pirate ship, under her circumstances, she couldn't wait to be home. Back in her own bed, surrounded by people that loved her; rather than the egotistical pirate.

But that was the other thing continually on her mind; Hook. Although he was completely self-loving, arrogant, obnoxious, and infuriating she couldn't manage to him out of her head. His accented voice seemed to always be persistent in her mind, taking her thoughts from her family and back to him. The past few days she had felt herself beginning to let her guard down, let her walls tumble, and she had no clue why. She couldn't bring herself to stop the butterflies from growing in her stomach when he was in her presence. His relentless flirting had become less annoying and more flattering to her, as much as she cursed herself because of it. He drove her absolutely insane and she was, for some reason, drawn to it. Hook challenged her; he didn't wait on her every hand and foot like most men did in her kingdom (to her dismay) and he didn't walk on eggshells around her. Surprisingly, he was one of the most real people she had met. But Emma knew better then to let him in all the way; to let him see the side of her that was fragile and broken. She couldn't give him that; she never would. She was tough as nails and that was all he needed to know.

Afternoon was dawning on them and Emma soon heard the faint sound of footsteps heading towards the cabin. Quickly they were outside the door and Hook entered, flashing a smile in her direction. "Afternoon love."

Emma sent a tight lipped smile in his direction as she straightened herself up in bed, leaning against the headboard. She soon noticed Smee following close behind Hook, carrying a large platter full of food. Before she could greet the crewman he quickly set the tray on the table and scurried out of the room, leaving Emma alone with the Captain.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've taken the liberty to decide to eat with you today," Hook said while walking over to where she sat. He unwrapped the rope from around her wrist, even though she continued to tell him she wouldn't run if he didn't keep her tied up, and offered his hand to her. She eyed his hand carefully and glanced up at his face, giving him an unimpressed look.

"Well, aren't I just a lucky girl," she said dully at him while moving past his hand. Hook pressed his lips together and followed closely behind her, watching her sit in one of the chairs at the table. He grabbed the sides of the chair and pushed it in for her once she was situated comfortably in it. "What, you're going to be a gentleman now?" she questioned.

While grinning he leaned in close to her ear, Emma feeling his hot breathe on the nape of her neck. "I'm always a gentleman," he whispered while backing away and walking over to his seat. Emma was going to respond but the sweet aroma from their lunch soon filled the room and her appetite suddenly hit her, quickly digging in to the food on the tray in front of her.

* * *

They ate in silence, which Emma was fine with. She was much too preoccupied with the food in front of her to even hold a conversation. As she was finishing off the last of her meal, Hook cleared his throat causing her to meet his gaze. "What?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"We're going to be docking in a few days, I was just curious if there was anything you will need?"

Emma raised a confused eyebrow at him but glanced down at the clothes she was in. And had been in for the past few days. "Well as wonderful as the clothes you've let me use are, I might need to pick up a couple new things to wear." Hook nodded as the silence overtook the two of them again. Hook's eyes drifted towards the ground as he rocked back and forth in the chair, Emma's eyes never leaving him. "Hook?" she asked quietly as he lifted his head.

"Yes love?"

"Why do you have women's clothes?"

Emma was half expecting a snarky comment back about all the women he had been with but was instead met his face falling and his eyes drifting towards the floor again. "From someone long ago; that's all you need to know," he said softly while not looking up at her. She nodded understandingly at him while back up her chair and standing. Hook followed her lead as she wandered back over to the bed and sat down, looking up at him. As he grabbed the rope off the bed Emma rolled her eyes, causing him to raise his eyebrow at her. "What lass?"

"Honestly Hook? Do you really need to tie me up?" He opened his mouth to protest but she continued. "Where am I going to go? We're in the middle of the damn ocean!"

"Point taken," he said while setting the rope down and chuckling. "Fine, I won't tie you up. You're free to wander where you please; but as an individual on board, you will be liable to help out around the ship if needed. Savvy?"

"I may be a princess, but I don't mind helping out," she challenged, giving him a confident eye raise.

He patted her leg and moved away from her towards the door. "Get dressed quick and I'll introduce you to the crew," he said while grabbing the clothes off the chair at the table and tossing them to her. She gave him a mocking smile as he disappeared to the other side of the door.

* * *

Emma looked at herself in the mirror, surprised at how well the clothes fit her. She wore dark brown leather pants and a loser fit top with a widespread belt around her abdomen. She adjusted the belt best she could, trying to make it more comfortable. Naturally, the belt accentuated her chest in all the right places and she silently cursed Hook for making her wear this. With a deep sigh she opened the door to the room and let her eyes get adjusted to the sunlight, a wave of relief rushing over her as the fresh air hit her skin. Hook was waiting for her as she stepped out of the room and his eyes widened at her appearance.

"Bloody hell Emma," he said quietly enough that she couldn't hear him. She looked up at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"How does it look?" Before Hook could answer her a few of the crewmen started whistling, causing Hook to shift his eyes in their direction.

"Men, listen up! Our lovely prisoner, Emma, has requested to be able to wander the ship. She's going to be helping as needed," Hook said to the crew, capturing the attention of every member. "Now, although she is being held on the ship, I like to think of her as my… guest." Emma raised her eyebrows at Hook, confused, as he continued on his tangent. "So in other words, you'll respect her wishes."

"Aye, but she's just a girl!" one man said, causing Emma to glare at him.

"She's a _woman_ who you will respect," Hook spat out.

"So what you're saying is we can look but we can't touch?" another man said, getting a laugh from the rest of the crew. Hook stood in his spot, fuming from anger. "And what's to happen if we do?" Hook lunged at the crewman, putting his metal appendage to the man's neck.

"Then this will be firmly placed in your neck. Are we clear?" The man nodded and Hook pulled away, raising his right arm in the air. "Back to work men." Emma stood there and gave him a look as he passed by her to man the wheel, smiling to herself and wandering about the top deck.

* * *

The next few days Hook watched, impressed, as Emma worked her away around the ship, manning the ropes and keeping an eye out as they sailed. She immediately meshed with the crew, holding her own and not taking any shit that they threw her way. Sometimes he would forget that she was a prisoner and a betrothed princess; one wouldn't guess it from the looks of her being on the ship. Hook found himself admiring how her blonde locks flowed in the wind and how the leather fit her curves just right, his tongue flicking against his lower lip. She was a beautiful woman and the more he watched her work around the ship and banter with the crew, the more he felt himself falling for her. He wasn't one to believe love existed, but on an occasion he felt himself questioning that when he looked at Emma. He knew that he was able to turn her into a nervous mess; every time he touched her or was close to her he could feel her body jump, her skin tingle. But she could do the same thing to him; he loved that he challenged her and made him work for what he wanted. His lips curled upward as she made her way up the steps to where he was and sat on the rail. "I must say love, you would make one hell of a pirate."

Emma smiled and kicked her feet back and forth, enjoying the breeze blowing her blonde hair around. "It's actually kind of fun. I can see why you love it out here." She quickly jumped down and walked over to him, leaning against a wood post. "Can I try?" she asked while gesturing to the helm. He gave her a surprised look, almost as if she had just asked him to throw himself off the side of the ship. "What?" she asked, a little lost by his reaction.

"You want to steer _my_ ship?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"What's the worst that could happen?" he opened his mouth to answer but she hastily waved him off. "Actually don't answer that. Just for a second? Please?" Her eyes begged him but he kept his gaze away from her, knowing he would cave as soon as he met her bright green eyes. She lightly touched his arm as his eyes reluctantly turned towards her. "Please?"

His body slumped as he moved away and made room for her. "You're quite a persistent lass, aren't you?" She smiled victoriously and stood in front of the helm, gripping the wooden pegs on opposite sides of the wheel. Hook chuckled and moved behind her. "Love, you're doing it wrong," he said as his right hand gripped the top of hers and moved it to one of the upper pegs and did the same with her left hand, his hook gently cupping her wrist. He stood behind her and moved his hand down her side before fixing it on her hip, holding her close to him.

Emma stood still as she could, keeping her eyes forward and on the horizon, moving the wheel ever so slightly. "That's perfect love," Hook whispered in her ear, grinning proudly as his thumb slowly stroked her hip. She moved her head around and met his blue eyes, quickly looking away as a smile found its way to her face and her cheeks burned. "You're a natural," he spoke again, his deep voice sending chills down her spine. He couldn't believe that he allowed her to steer the Jolly Roger; not once in his life had a women been able to convince him to let her do so. Emma had a power over him that he couldn't really figure out, but for some reason it didn't bother him in the least bit. Emma smiled to herself, letting her back rest against him and saw the sun setting on the horizon, pinks and reds cluttering the sky. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, letting the fresh air wash over her and inhaling the scent of the salt water, a smile moving across her face. This was definitely something she could get used to.

* * *

After a long day of working alongside the rest of the crew, Emma couldn't wait to get into bed and sleep. She slipped on the more comfortable clothes that Hook had leant to her and crawled into bed, letting the covers warm her up. Hook soon entered the room, the bags under his eyes more prominent than hers. He discarded his shirt to the floor and strode over to the bed as Emma shifted to give him more space. He crawled over her and fell against the covers on the side closest to the wall. Emma turned to face him, her mind littered with questions she needed to ask, although her body was protesting her staying awake.

"Hook?" she said quietly as he turned his head towards her. "Why… why haven't you contacted my family?"

Hook stayed quiet for a moment, clearly contemplating what he was going to say to her. "Aye… that's a good question lass. Since we haven't docked since our near run in with your father's men, it's been challenging to actually have a way to contact them. When we do make berth I'll make sure your family is aware of your presence on my ship. Then I'll collect my gold and you can be on your merry way."

Emma nodded her head and looked down. She wasn't sure how to feel about this news; she felt relieved that soon she would probably see her family but at the same time didn't know if she wanted to actually leave. She was beginning to actually enjoy being on the ship. Her brain was rattling around the possibilities when she noticed him raising up his hooked arm and placing it across his chest. She eyed the hook and then looked up at him. "What… what exactly happened?" she asked while gesturing to his metal attachment.

"I don't think that's something you want to get into right now love," he said coldly, looking away from her to stare at the ceiling. She had misjudged just how much of a wall he had up but at the same time she understood why he did. Not wanting to prod too much into the subject she slowly turned away from him before he quietly spoke. "Rumplestiltskin." She raised an eyebrow at him as he immediately grabbed her attention. "Rumplestiltskin is the reason for this," he said while lifting up his left arm. "His wife, Milah, left him. I met her at a tavern, so we brought her aboard the ship and-"

"You stole the Dark One's wife?!" Emma nearly screamed while slightly propping herself up. Hook shifted his eyes at her.

"He wasn't exactly the Dark One when I first encountered him. He was a coward, unwilling to fight for his love. So she left. He found me years later, hell bent on getting his vengeance for her leaving him; and now I have this," he said while lifting his hook up.

"And… what happened to Milah?" Emma questioned. His whole body tensed and his face dropped. She watched his lips tightly press together, unable to meet his gaze. "She died didn't she?"

"He killed her," Hook spat out, causing Emma's eyes to widen. "He ripped her heart out. Crushed it in his hands in front of me. I saw the life leave her eyes; watched her die in my arms." His voice was shaking, his fist clenched at his side. "I… I loved her."

Emma didn't know what to say. She just watched all this walls come down, fall, disappear and everything that hurt him was out in the open. His face dropped, he looked so broken; and it pained her to see him like that. "Hook… I'm so sorry."

"That, love, is why I keep to myself. True love is a myth. It never works," he said through clenched teeth. "All it does is cause pain."

"You can't think that true love is really a myth," Emma protested.

"Aye, maybe some people get lucky, such as your parents, but not everyone finds true love. Definitely not someone like me." He swallowed hard and looked up at her. "You're lucky you're in love."

Emma cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What?" she asked him. His eyes squinted as he raised an eyebrow at her and suddenly it dawned on her. "Oh… Eric?" Hook nodded, still not saying anything and staring at her intently. He had just let her into his past, his scars, his hurt. And although she was terrified to let him do the same, something deep inside was pushing her to do so. "I… I'm not in love with him. I don't want to get married to him. It's an arranged marriage. That's why I was out in the forest that day. I was searching for an escape from everything. It's just been so hard to deal with and I needed an out," Emma explained as she felt her voice crack, her eyes fluttering back the tears welling up in her eyes. She would tell him how fucked up the situation she was in was, but she wouldn't let him see her cry.

"So lass, if you were looking for an escape, I guess you could say I'm your knight in shining armor?" he said, his signature smirk appearing on his face. Emma couldn't help but laugh as she jokingly rolled her eyes.

"If that's how you want to look at it buddy."

"It appears we're not so different, are we?" Hook said quietly. Emma nodded as silence fell over the two of them, neither of them knowing exactly what to say next. "Emma?" Hook finally said, catching her attention at the use of her actual name.

"Yes?"

"You know… you're not tied down anymore love. You're more than welcome to sleep elsewhere on the ship."

Emma pursed her lips and considered this. She had loathed the idea of sleeping in the same bed as him when he first kidnapped her but after the night's recent revelations, sleeping somewhere else seemed incredibly daft to her. "Well, this is probably the most comfortable place I'm going to find. And I think I trust you a bit more than the rest of the crew."

A genuine smile spread across Hook's face as he turned his body to face her, their eyes meeting in an intense stare. He brushed the hair out of her face and eyed her lips, slowly moving his face closer to hers. "And it has nothing to do with being in bed with the most fearsome pirate in all of our land?" he tested jokingly.

Emma's cheeks flushed red as she looked away from him quickly, stopping him from closing the gap between them. Her eyes soon glanced up at him and gave him a reassuring smile while leaning her head against his chest. She didn't see the smile spread across his face as his hand grabbed her hip and pulled her near to him, his arms snaking around her back. He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and held her close, flashbacks of Milah pouring in his mind. It had been so long that he had felt the warmth of a woman against him and any other situation like this he would have felt like he was betraying Milah, but he quickly shook the thoughts away, not wanting to ruin whatever this was.

"This changes nothing," Emma said quietly while snuggling closer to him and placing her hands against his chest.

"Whatever you say love." Hook let his head rest against hers and closed his eyes, falling asleep to the faint sound of her breathing.


	5. Chapter 4 -- Drunken Nights

**A/N: This took a bit longer than I had hoped to get it out, but here is the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! :) On another note THANK YOU ALL so much for following. I passed 100 follows this weekend and I'm still shocked about it! I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction to this, so it's really wonderful to me. Thank you all so much for the reviews, they seriously make my day 3**

* * *

Sunlight poured into the room and struck Hook's face, waking him from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust himself to the bright sunlight and swallowed hard. He was staring at the ceiling and glanced over at Emma who was still peacefully asleep next to him. She had her back to him and knees slightly tucked up while cradling her head in the pillow. Hook smiled and turned his body towards her, taking in her glow, memories of the prior night still fresh in his mind. Emma had let her guard down and opened herself up to him; something he didn't expect she would ever do. What surprised him most was that he took the initiative and told her about Milah; it was still a sore subject that he most of the time avoided if he could. But with Emma everything just poured out of him and he felt relief wash through his body, like the weight and regret he had been carrying for so long was gone. Of course he still cared for Milah and would always keep her memory, but as he cradled Emma in his arms last night it was like a little voice was telling him to let go. Telling him to move on with his life and not live in darkness anymore; to make an exception for Emma. Stubborn, sarcastic, strong-willed, and beautiful Emma. He gently positioned his hand on the curve of her hip and stroked the skin that was exposed for her shirt riding up with his thumb. As he placed a tender kiss on her shoulder she began to stir awake; so he wrapped his arm around her lower torso, pulling her flush against him.

"Good morning love," he whispered against the shell of her ear, burrowing his face into the crook of her neck. Emma stretched her legs out, slightly leaning back into him.

"Morning," she said, her voice groggy and her vision blurred from her slumber. Hook leaned in to leave a kiss on her neck but a loud knock on the door caused him to pull away and shift his eyes in the direction of the noise. Before he could speak the door flew open and slammed against the wall, revealing a member of the crew. Emma recognized him instantly; it was the same man Hook had threatened a few days before.

The man eyed Hook and Emma and his lips curled into a smirk. "Oh sorry cap'n, didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Emma rolled her eyes as Hook moved his arms from around her waist and propped himself up, his body being supported by his left arm. "What do you want Clegg," Hook responded, annoyance noticeable in his tone.

"We're just wonderin' when you was going to be up. It's near midday and we was getting worried. By the looks of it you two musta had a long night, so I'll leave you as you were," Clegg said with wave of his hand and the slam of the door. Emma groaned and buried her face into her hands while rubbing her eyes awake.

"Great now you're whole crew is going to think we're sleeping together," Emma mumbled as she sat upright and sighed.

"Aye love, we _technically_ are sleeping together," Hook said with a smirk, causing Emma to glare at him. "And as much as it pains you lass, they undoubtedly already believed we were." Emma groaned and let her body slump forward, her face meeting the palms of her hands. Suddenly she felt the curved edge of his Hook trailing down her back gently. "Emma," he said softly as he continued to trail circles around her back. She arched her back at the tingling sensation he had caused and looked down at his face, his blue eyes piercing hers. "Last night was-"

Emma put her hand up and cut him off quickly. "Listen Hook, I meant what I said. Last night doesn't change anything. It didn't mean anything and it was a one time thing. So don't get any ideas," she said harshly, causing him to pull away in response. _It didn't mean anything_. The words spilled from her mouth and stung him more than she thought they would. She threw the covers off her legs and began to slip out of the bed before she felt the cool metal from his hook around her wrist. "Yes?" she questioned while turning her head to face him, her legs dangling over the side of the bed.

"I was only going to tell you thank you," Hook said quietly to her, causing her heart to drop in her chest. The look in his eyes told her he meant it; they were clouded with sincerity and thankfulness, something she hadn't seen in him since. Suddenly her little tirade seemed a bit more dramatic than it needed to be. Emma gave him a warm smile before leaning closer to him.

"You're welcome Hook," she said before removing herself from the bed and walking to the closet to change her clothes.

* * *

It had been a slow day on the ship; not much to do, lots of sitting around and chattering coming from the crew. Emma took the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of being out at sea. The salty air smell filled her as she watched the Jolly Roger cut through the waves. There was a calming aspect of being in the middle of the ocean; it was so vast and seemed endless. No worries, no responsibilities, just the water and your thoughts. Emma smiled to herself and glanced over at Hook who was manning the helm, as he always did. She could see a glimmer of happiness in his eyes as he watched the horizon. He held his head high, a certain proudness clouding him. Emma studied him, noticing how he genuinely enjoyed being on his ship. He suddenly scanned his eyes towards her and she looked away, but not fast enough for him to not notice her watching him, a smile creeping onto his face.

Their day continued like this. Stolen glances and hidden smiles; silence surrounding the two of them. Emma sat herself on the outer railing of the ship, letting the wind flow through her curls as the sky turned a bright pink with the coming sunset. Hook looked at her, her movement catching his eye, and laughed. "Careful lass, don't want you falling overboard."

"I have perfectly fine balance, thank you very much," she said back at him, his laugh causing her lips to curl into a tight smile.

"I sure hope you do," he teased back, letting his eyes trail over her body. "I must say, you do look quite ravishing in those clothes," Hook said, his voice falling to a deep tone. "If the princess thing doesn't work out, we'll gladly take you love."

Emma's felt her cheeks flush red as she raised an eyebrow at him. "You wish."

"Aye, that's why I offered," Hook said with his signature smirk as Emma's lips curled upward and she teasingly shook her head. Although she didn't want to admit it to him, she felt a certain spark when she was around him; especially last night. She had replayed what she told him earlier in her mind all day. _It meant nothing_. That couldn't have been further from the truth. It _did_ mean something, but she didn't know who she was more scared to admit it to; him or herself.

Before she could say anything, the man that had barged into Hook's room that morning was walking up the stairs towards them. Emma eyed him cautiously; something about his demeanor didn't sit right with her.

"Evening cap'n, sorry for interrupting ye two this afternoon," Clegg said as he looked over at Emma. Emma tightened her lips and grabbed the railing of the ship, stabilizing herself, before landing her feet on the deck of the ship.

"You weren't interrupting anything Clegg," Hook said, keeping his stare away from the crewman.

"Well I wouldn't blame ya if I was; who wouldn't want a piece o' her," Clegg sneered while gesturing at Emma. Her face distorted in disgust as she started towards him before being firmly stopped by Hook's arm. Hook turned towards Clegg, his body burning as he held Emma back from lunging at man.

"I thought I warned that you treat Emma with respect," he spat, a darkness taking over his eyes.

"Aye, I didn't touch her!" Clegg said, a smirk of jest crawling over his face.

"That means what you say to her as well," Hook said harshly, the timbre in his voice sending shockwaves over Emma's body.

"I didn't know the captain had such a soft side," Clegg said, sending a last jab to get under Hook's skin best he could before walking off down the stairs and to the other side of the ship. Hook's body was rising and falling with rage as he moved his arm down from around the front of Emma's torso.

"I need a drink…" Hook mumbled before walking towards the lounge, Emma instinctively following him.

* * *

Emma sat at a raised table in the dimly lit room, a small set of candles in the corner flickering off their light, while Hook walked over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled a flask from its depths. He balanced the flask against his chest with his left arm and clinked two glasses together with his fingers, before walking over to Emma. She gave him a soft smile as he set the glasses down on the table and began pouring the liquid into the glass. After nearly topping off his he handed the flask to her, only to receive the shake of her head and wave of her hand. "Ah, the princess thing?" he questioned, his tone challenging her.

Emma scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "No I just prefer wine."

Hook crinkled his nose at her and let a quiet chuckle leave his mouth. "Well we've none of _that _on board," he said as he grabbed the spare glass. "You couldn't handle any of our rum anyway." Emma immediately grabbed his wrist, stopping him from putting it back.

"I can handle my liquor just fine."

Hook's lips curled into a victorious smile as he moved towards her, leaning his face inches from hers. "Oh really?" he challenged, setting the glass on the table and edging it forward with his hook. "Prove it." Emma's eyes squinted into a glare as she snatched the flask from the table and began pouring it into the glass. Hook held back a laugh as he watched, knowing he had gotten under her skin; Emma couldn't back down from any challenge. And he loved it.

Emma finished filling her glass and raised it to his, their glasses meeting with a clink, before taking a big sip of hers and wiping her upper lip. "Cheers."

* * *

A few hours and an unknown amount of glasses later and Emma had turned from a challenging princess to a giggling inebriated mess. Hook noticed the behavior change after her second glass, her apparent lightweight nature becoming known to him. After trying to casually take the glass from her she grabbed it and poured herself another, nearly downing it in one gulp. Every time he would ask her to stop it just made her drink more, her stubbornness increasing the more alcohol she had in her system.

The two had thankfully been left all alone in the parlor, leaving Emma's laughs, slurred speech, and hiccups to fill the room. Although she was completely not herself, Hook did find this other side of her entertaining, however strange it was. Emma took another drink of the rum and reached her hand out towards Hook, placing her fingers around the lapels of his jacket. He eyed her carefully, unsure of what exactly she was doing. The only function she could seem to do was give him a sultry smile and erupt in a fit of laughter as she ran her hand down his arm. "Emma, love, what are you doing?" he questioned, grabbing her hand with his and running a thumb over her knuckles. Her cheeks flushed red as she interlaced her fingers with him while jumping from her chair and pulling herself close to him.

"What do you mean, _captain_?" she questioned, her eyes fluttering up at him under her lashes. She let out a laugh again and started to stumble forward a bit, causing Hook to wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. Her fingers ghosted up to his neck, curling around the nape and pulling his face towards hers so their noses were nearly touching. She bit her bottom lip and eyed his, beginning to slowly bring their faces closer together. Hook's eyes widened and he gently moved away from her, bringing her hand that was still laced with his up to his mouth, planting a kiss on the top of it.

"I'm going to get you some water love," he said quietly before getting up from the table. Emma stumbled backwards into the chair and twirled her hair around her index finger.

"I'll be waiting, captain," she responded with a flirtatious tone causing him to chuckle before exiting the room and walking to get the water from him cabin.

* * *

Emma sat the table, messing with the strands of hair around her fingers when she heard the door of the lounge open. "Back so soon?" she said, her voice coming out lower than normal.

"You wish princess."

Emma's eyes widened as she turned to face the person in the doorway. The dark lighting and her blurred vision from the alcohol made it hard for her to see but as the person approached her, she recognized his facial features instantly. Her body instantly tensed as Clegg advanced in her direction, gripping the table to keep her body upright. "You're… you're not the captain," she slurred.

Clegg roughly grabbed her arm as she struggled to free herself, her body not listening to what her brain was telling her. "HOOK!" she screamed as her arms pushed against Clegg. He suddenly covered her mouth and began pulling her thrashing body towards the door of the room. As they were a mere feet away from the doorway, Emma's body beginning to give out, the door flung open and Hook stood with his fist clenched at his side, anger visible fuming from his body. Clegg immediately let go of Emma and put his hands up in defense, bracing himself for impact as Hook lunged at him. Emma's intoxicated state caused her to fall to the floor as she watched Hook slam Clegg into the wall, his hook at the man's neck.

"Don't you ever fucking touch her again," he said through gritted teeth, the tip of his hook barely breaking the skin on the man's neck. Clegg let out a strangled cry as Hook's forearm pushed against the man's chest. "Or I swear to god I'll kill you." In an instant Hook's fist connected with Clegg's cheek, causing him to fall to the floor in an unconscious heap. Hook stood over the man for a moment, trying to control his heavy breathing and calm himself down. As soon as he turned to see Emma on the floor his behavior instantly changed, seeing her helpless state. He ran over to her, wrapping his left arm around her back and bringing his right hand to the back of her head, pulling her into him. "Emma…" he said quietly. "Are you okay love?"

Emma smiled up at him, drunkenly bringing her hands around his neck. "I am now." Hook cracked a smiled and stood up, offering his hand to her. She gladly accepted; stumbling against him as the alcohol still flowed through her system. He led her from the room to his cabin, holding in a laugh as she tripped over herself multiple times. She turned into a fit of giggles the closer they got to his room, running her hands over his chest and holding onto him like her life depended on it. "You're my hero," she slurred as they reached the door of his room. Seeing such an innocent and strong-willed woman in a drunken stupor helped lighten the anger deep inside his gut.

They entered his room and Hook kept her upright while helping her to the bed. As soon as she hit the soft mattress, legs dangling over the side of the bed, she roughly grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him towards her, her lips crashing into his. His body jumped in shock as she continued to pull him against her, her back falling against the bed as her lips hungrily devoured his. Hook placed his hand against the mattress to stop him from falling back with her and pulled away. "Emma…" he groaned as her pleading eyes met his. "You don't want this love."

"A drunken tongue speaks sober thoughts," she slurred as she leaned up and caught his lips again with hers, running her hands along the side of his face. He pulled away again as she quietly whimpered, her eyes filled with lust. "Please."

"Aye love, you're drunk. As much as I would love to ravish you, we're not doing it while you're in this state." Emma stuck her bottom lip out and Hook chuckled, moving backwards to remove his jacket. "That's not going to work." Emma rolled her eyes and slid under the covers in the bed, pulling up the ones that were next to her and patted the mattress.

"Aren't you going to join me?" she questioned with a flirtatious smiled. Hook shook his head and laughed while unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it over the chair, then moving to detach his hook. He had a feeling tonight would bring about a drunken Emma wanting to cuddle and he didn't want to risk hurting her. As he began walking toward the bed Emma sat up and beckoned him over with the curl of her finger. "Come here, _captain._"

Hook smirked and he fell against the mattress, catching Emma's gaze. "Emma, you need to sleep," he whispered while moving the hair out of her face. She erupted into a fit of giggles and pulled herself close to him. Hook could smell rum on her breath as her lips grazed the top of his.

"Aye, aye captain." Her hand ran along his shoulders and cupped his cheek, bringing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, sighing against him. When she pulled away she nuzzled her head into his chest and he draped his arm around her, his brain still trying to grasp what just happened. She was so different; if this was any other woman he would give in to her advances. But knowing how Emma really was, bedding her, especially like this, felt so wrong. He looked down at her and closed his eyes, letting his head fall against hers. Although she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning he sure as hell wasn't about to forget it; or forget the spark that ignited through his body when she kissed him.


	6. Chapter 5 -- Running & Fighting

**A/N: I'M ON SPRING BREAK! Praise. I'm going to be writing like a mad woman this week. Already started the next chapter. So hopefully I'll be able to get them out faster now! At least that's the plan. Again, thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! I'm glad you all enjoyed flirty drunk Emma. It was quite fun to write :) And with that said, here is the next chapter! The end is kind of lame-ish but the next chapter will explain it in more detail. I just didn't want _everything_ in this one!**

* * *

Emma's head was pounding as she attempted to open her eyes. The room was hazy and brighter than usual; her eyes unable to adjust and her mind racing. "What the hell," she said with a raspy voice as she tried to sit up in bed, her hand gripping her forehead as the room began spinning in circles, everything appearing in double. She kept her body upright with her left forearm as a groan escaped her lips, her palms trying to work her eyes awake. The soft clatter of boots outside the door caught her attention as Hook quietly appeared in front her, her mind still in a cloudy daze. "What happened last night?" she asked him.

Hook chuckled and walked towards her, his hand running across his chin. "Well love, you showed that you, in fact, cannot handle your liquor." Emma groaned and fell against the pillow as Hook reached the bed and sat down beside her, keeping a laugh to himself as her eyes fell closed and her arm draped over her forehead. "It was quite amusing."

"I hate you," she mumbled while sitting up again, keeping herself propped against her elbow. Hook reached out and moved the loose strands of hair out of her face, his lips curling into a smile.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, letting her hair slide through his fingers. She narrowed her eyes at him, rocking backwards slightly.

"How do you think?" she challenged, her head still pounding. "So what exactly happened last night? Besides me apparently getting drunk out of my mind."

Hook looked the floor, searching for the right words to say and contemplating on what details to leave out. "Well you had a couple glasses of rum and after about two or so you were awfully drunk. You were quite a different person last night." Emma raised her eyebrow at him, so he continued on his tangent. "Let's just say you're a rather flirtatious drunk." Emma groaned and fell against the bed again, her hands coming up to cover her face as her cheeks flushed red. He smiled and shifted his body so he was facing her now. "Lass something else happen."

The change in his tone caught Emma's attention. "What?" she asked, moving to sit up against the headboard of the bed.

"I left you alone for a moment… looking back this was a bad judgment on my part… but Clegg came in and he um…" Hook lifted his eyes to look at her, her eyes filling with dread and anxiety as he spoke. "He tried to take advantage of you." Emma's mouth fell agape as she pulled her legs to her chest and rest her chin on her knees. "Thankfully I came back in time and he wasn't able to do anything to you. I swear to you Emma, nothing like that will ever happen again. If it does I'll throw myself off this ship." He reached up and grabbed her hand off her knees and let his fingers lace with hers. Her gaze still looked past him at the floor, everything he told her sinking in. "Emma, love, I won't let any of them hurt you. Savvy?" She finally looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes, letting her head nod and lips curl into a small smile.

Emma leaned towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she leaned her head on his shoulder, pulling him in to a hug. Hook's eyebrows lifted in surprised as he let his arm wrap around her back and face fall into her hair. "Thank you," she whispered as they sat there for a moment, holding each other, with only the sound of their breathing filling the space. She was the first to pull away; keeping her hands clasped around the back of his neck she held his gaze, further thanking him with her smile.

"Anytime lass," he responded.

"Is… is he still on board?" she questioned, moving to sit beside him, pulling her legs with her and letting them dangle over the side of the bed to rock back and forth.

"Course not," Hook quickly responded, almost taken aback that she even questioned it. "We docked at dawn and I had him taken away and put in whatever the locals use for a prison. I would have preferred throwing the bastard overboard, making him walk the plank, but this solution was less… messy. He won't be bothering you any longer." Emma gave him a caring nod as she tried to let her memories come back. She desperately wanted to remember last night and she could sense he was holding something back.

"Was that all that happened?"

Hook swallowed hard and looked at her. Her eyes were pleading; he could sense that she was reading him, seeing through his façade, but he kept up his act and nodded. "Aye."

He quickly got up from the bed, grabbing his jacket off the chair and slipped it over his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was her persistent prying; he would tell her about the rest of the night after she had time to process everything he already told her. "Where are you going?" she questioned.

"Like I said lass, we're docked for the day. We've to go ashore and get more rum. We'll be leaving soon so you're going to want to get dressed love," he said as she moved towards the door.

"Do you really think that I'm going anywhere today?" she questioned, blinking her eyes quickly as another dizzy spell hit her.

"Well since you're the reason the rum has nearly run dry, I'd say you should," he said with a smirk as he slipped out of the room. Emma let out an aggravated groan and threw the blankets off her legs, slowly but surely getting herself ready.

* * *

As she opened the door the sun seemed brighter than it usually was, causing her to shield her eyes with her hand as everything started to spin again. She squinted and looked around the ship, finally meeting Hook's smirking face and giving him a fake smile. "I hate that you're making me go with you."

"You'll live," he replied while stepping down the steps of the Jolly Roger and extending his hand to her. "Mi'lady."

She grabbed his hand for support as she walked off the ship, steading her feet as not to fall in front of the dock full of people. Everyone was hustling around, loading and unloading cargo from the various ships docked as chatter and squawks from seagulls filled the air. Emma followed Hook to the end of the marina as they entered a small yet bustling town. People were running street carts filled with delicacies while the locals bargained their prices with the tellers. Emma took in her surroundings; the town was nothing she had ever seen or experienced before. Everything was so different, so intriguing; she was almost hypnotized by it all.

They spent some time wandering around to the various stalls, mainly because of Emma's curiosity to visit as many as she could. She walked up to a jewelry cart and marveled at the craftsmanship of each piece, her fingers delicately running across the top of a broach. Emma felt Hook's hand grab her arm and she jumped, her eyes lifting towards his. "Stay here, I'll be right back," he said quietly before wandering off through the crowd. She watched him enter into what appeared to be some sort of tavern and she shook her head and laughed quietly. _It's 5 o'clock somewhere_, she thought to herself.

He was back faster than she had anticipated, two bottles of rum in his hands and a smile on his face. She gave him a lopsided smile and raised her eyebrow at him as he made his way back to her. "What? Do you want some?" he said with a smirk as he offered her a bottle. Her face twisted in disgust and she shook her head vigorously, giving him a wave with her hand.

"I won't be drinking any of that for a while." Suddenly everything around her started spinning as the effects of her hangover began to take over her body again. She stumbled forward and Hook instinctively put his arms out to steady her, worry clouding his eyes, as he wrapped his left arm around her back and pulled her against his chest.

"Easy there love," he said, his voice husky against her ear. Her hand fell against his chest as she stabilized herself, leaning her head back to give him a smile.

"Thanks," she said as she eased herself forward and blinked her eyes rapidly to get her vision back to normal. She took a step forward and Hook stayed close behind her, his hooked arm up against her back in case another dizzy spell hit. As she came back to herself she spotted a small stand in the corner of the street, cluttered with various kinds of clothes. After glancing down at her outfit she quickly maneuvered her way towards the stand and began looking through the garments. Hook reluctantly stopped, watching as she ran her fingers delicately over the hand sown stitching, his lips curling into a smile as he did. Watching her so genuinely happy and intrigued by the small town gave him a certain kind of hope; he had heard so many stories about the royals of the country being brutal and careless, with the exception of Emma's parents. It was apparent she was their daughter as she happily struck up a conversation with the lady running the stall, holding up a few items and marveling at them. Emma was lovely; and he was falling.

* * *

Emma picked a few items out to buy from the friendly teller, Hook watching her the whole time with a bright smile on his face. His eyes shifted towards the crowd behind them and widened, panic setting in. "No."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows together and looked back at him. As she followed his gaze, her breath caught in her throat and she dropped the clothes she was clutching. Standing amongst the locals crowding the streets were five men dressed in whites. Emma recognized them immediately; and she knew all of them by name. The guards were from her kingdom and the realization quickly set in that her parents sent them out to look for her. The men began walking towards the jewelry cart that Emma had been admiring and over the sounds of the crowd she heard one ask, "We're looking for the lost princess." They handed the teller a piece of paper, likely one with a depiction of her on it, the woman's eyes widened. As the woman lifted a finger in the direction of the two of them Emma felt her heart stop. If they didn't leave now she was about to be caught and taken home; and for some reason, this terrified her.

She snapped back from her thoughts as the bottles Hook held crashed loudly to the ground, garnering the attention of the people around them; including the guards. He quickly grabbed Emma's hand and started pulling her through the crowd and towards the marina. Emma kept pace with him, moving as fast as she could while pushing people out of the way. The shouts from behind them seemed to increase the closer they got to Hook's vessel; screams to stop and surrender. Panic was flowing through her body now, her adrenaline helping her sprint along with Hook, keeping her hand wrapped tightly around his. She couldn't let him go. She wouldn't.

They finally reached the wharf and Hook began barking orders as they ran down the dock towards the Jolly Roger. "Man the sails! Cut the ropes! We're putting to sea! Hurry!" The crew aboard the ship gave him a confused look but did as they were told, not one to argue with the captain. They had caught the attention of the rest of the people scattered about as their feet clattered on the dock below them. With little time to get away Hook waved off the crew as they were to lower the gangplank. Instead he grabbed Emma by her hips, keeping the pointed end of his hook away from her skin, and hoisted her onto the railing. She quickly moved her legs over the rail and set her feet on the deck. As she was about to extend a hand to him he was already flinging himself over the railing, gracefully landing with two feet on board. He quickly drew his sword and began shouting orders again. The crew began hurrying around; prepping the ship for departure and Hook turned his attention to Emma. His hand grabbed her arm and he locked his eyes with hers, his stare burning into her.

"I need you to man the helm," he said, a seriousness taking over his voice. Her eyes widen and she shakes her head forcefully.

"Hook, I can't-"

"I trust you lass," he said almost breathlessly. Her breath caught in her throat as his stare pleaded with her, his eyes electrifying her bones. She swallowed hard and slowly nodded, a nervous smile spreading on her face. With a lite nudge from Hook she hurriedly walked up the stairs, grasping the wheel the way Hook showed her in the week prior. She turned to the entrance of the dock and saw the guards careening around the corner, heading straight for the ship. Anxiety surged through her body as she watched the crew remove the last of the ropes, giving the vessel a shove and jumping aboard. Emma set her eyes forward, focusing on navigating the ship away from the dock best she could.

To her dismay the guards reached where they were docked and the clanging of swords began echoing through the marina. She continuously glanced down at Hook, watching him keep the men from boarding with the rest of his crew at his side. It was an uneven fight and her parent's men didn't stand a chance. Finally there was enough space between the dock and the Jolly Roger that there wasn't a worry of anyone coming aboard. Emma felt relief set in as she continued to traverse out of the wharf, the guards shouting beginning to fill her thoughts

"We will find you! I swear on your father we will!" The mention of her father sent unnerving feelings through her body, a sudden wave of guilt rushing over her. But Hook's voice snapped her from her thoughts as she glanced at the captain.

"This beauty is the fastest vessel in all of the land! I'd like to see you try!"

Emma glanced back at the five men standing on the dock, their appearance getting smaller and smaller, and gave a small smile. She wasn't ready to get caught. Not yet.

* * *

As they made berth out of the marina Hook let out a loud sigh of relief, leaning against the railing and looking up at Emma. She was still manning the helm and a proud look spread on his face as he admired her standing behind the wheel. He made his way to her and she looked up at him, smiling as he ran his hand down her arm. "Brilliant. You were bloody brilliant lass." She looked away from him as her cheeks flushed red, flustered from his compliment. He was resisting the urge to kiss her and push her up against the railing, everything about her in this moment making him want her more than he did before. She was a natural. She was a pirate; whether or not she agreed he didn't care.

The adrenaline surging through Emma's body began to fade and as she kept her eyes locked with his she felt herself get light headed and staggered against him, everything beginning to spin around her. He caught her quickly and wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her flush against him, not wanting her to fall to the deck. "Let's get you back to bed," he said in a hushed whisper. She nodded and leaned on him for support as he helped her down the stairs and to his cabin, feeling her body growing tired with every step she took.

They entered his room and he led her to the bed, helping her sink comfortably into the mattress. Her head fell back against the pillow and a frustrated groan left her lips as her eyes fell closed. "I'm never drinking again." Hook chuckled and sat beside her, watching her chest fall and rise.

"We'll see about that," he said jokingly, causing Emma to slightly open her eyes and glare at him. "And love; I think it's pretty safe now to say that you don't want to be caught." Emma felt her heart rate quicken. Of course she didn't want to get caught. But the last thing she was ready to do was admit that to him. She enjoyed his company, sure, but the idea of him proving her wrong made her stomach turn; she hated when anyone did that. She began cursing herself for letting her walls start to fall; she knew better than that. All it would do was open your heart to all new worlds of hurt.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," she said, rolling her eyes and moving her forearm to rest across her face.

"Aye love, you can't hide it any longer," he teased with a playful smirk. But his face soon fell to a frown when he noticed the cold look on her face. "What?"

"I'm really not in the mood for your teasing right now Hook," she said, annoyance dripping from her tone. He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up, hovering above the bed.

"Lass, don't get sharp with me just because you enjoy being on board."

"Actually I don't, especially not with you interrogating me every second." The lie seeped from her lips as she tried to keep her tone confident.

"One of these days you'll admit it."

She sighed angrily and turned to face the wall, Hook's gaze falling to the floor. "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight Hook," she said quickly while letting her eyes flutter shut. Just like that Hook felt all of the walls he had broken through come back up in an instant. Suddenly the teasing seemed like a bit too much; his face fell as he watched her, wishing he could take it back. It wasn't out of malice but he should have realized her head was still literally spinning from everything that happened last night. Had he been in her position, it would annoy him too. He took one last glance back at her before removing himself from the room, hoping that when she woke up she wouldn't be back to her stubborn ways.


	7. Chapter 6 -- Admitting

**A/N: So writing this took longer than I planned. I couldn't focus on it at all. But I FINALLY finished it; sorry it took so long! It didn't end up being nearly as long as I hope though, sadly. This chapter is a whole lot of explaining/details, not too much dialogue. Also just as a reminder the story IS rated M; this chapter isn't really but the chapters coming up will be. But I'll be sure to warn when it does happen!**

* * *

To Hook's dismay Emma's comments from the night prior seemed to stay with her the next morning. As he gazed around his ship he caught site of the blonde curls emerging from his cabin and sent a smile in her direction. She looked up at him, a frown appearing on her face and looked away from him hastily, moving to begin helping the crew around the ship. A wave of sadness washed over his face as he continued to follow her movements, her eyes never looking back at him. On a usual day it was full of stolen glances and little smiles; but today felt different. Her face was hard and she wouldn't give him a single look, which did honestly surprise him. Everything had seemed to be building in their relationship, heading in the right direction; he felt himself wanting to let his walls down for her and he had believed it was a mutual feeling. But now as he watched her wander about the ship he saw the all too familiar walls back up around her. And it pained him that it could have been avoided if he had kept his mouth shut the night prior.

He decided to take a chance and stroll over to Emma as she leaned with her arms draped over the railing of the ship. "You can't ignore me forever," he said while propping his right arm on the railing, staring down at her. She kept her eyes on the water, never letting them scan over at him. "Come on love, don't be like that." A frown stayed on her face as she bit the inside of her lip. He let out an annoyed huff and turned away from her abruptly. "You're bloody impossible," he mumbled under his breath before making his way down the stairs and to the parlor to eat.

* * *

Emma pushed herself off the railing and let herself sink to the deck, leaning her back against the foremast of the ship. She inhaled deeply, the salt water scent rushing over her as the Jolly Roger dipped amongst the waves. After a quick glance around the ship she noticed everyone seemed to have all at once disappeared; getting ready for supper she supposed. Not that she was complaining; it was nice to finally be alone with her thoughts as she watched the sun set along the horizon line. She tried to wrap her brain around everything that had happened recently; absolutely hating that she let her walls begin to fall. It frustrated her that Hook had a way of getting into her brain and rattling it around, making her feel things she had never felt before. Never once had someone been able to get under her skin the way he did; a tension was building between the two so thick you couldn't cut it with a knife. And it absolutely terrified her. She wanted to believe that letting him in would make her happy and somewhere deep down inside she truly believed it; but the possibility of getting hurt and having her heart broken was constantly looming in her mind, clouding her thoughts.

The night prior there was a little voice screaming to admit it to him; to tell him that she was almost thankful for him taking her away from her kingdom. For showing her an entirely different world and letting her open her mind to new things. But she could barely admit any of this to herself; so there was no way she could admit it to Hook.

As the sun set below the horizon she continued to let her mind wander, contemplating what to do. She could continue to leave up her wall and keep her distance from Hook; or she could open herself up and take a chance. She had already taken so many other chances around; so why not?

The moon soon appeared low in the sky the chill from the sea intensified. Emma ran her hands over the tops of her arms as the wind cooled her skin. A deep sigh left her lips as she reluctantly found herself wandering down the stairs to Hook's cabin. She had tried to avoid this as much as she could during the day, but there was no getting around it now. She had to face him.

* * *

She quietly opened the door and was surprised at darkness nearly engulfed the room, only a small gas lamp in the corner giving off light. Her eyes wandered to the bed where Hook was sitting, propped against the headboard, fiddling with his Hook. He had clearly already readied himself for bed as she felt her eyes drawn to his exposed chest. She couldn't help and she could hardly tear her eyes from him.

Silence and tension soon filled the air in the room, neither of them knowing exactly what to say. She started undoing the front of her top and could feel his eyes burning into her. As she picked up the loose fitting shirt off the back of the chair in the room she let her eyes move towards his, meeting his gaze for only a moment. He was watching her with narrowed eyes, following her every movement. She tugged the top over her shoulders and slid the loose shirt over the front-tied corset that was laced tight against her chest. After a few tugs on the lacing it fell to the floor. She stood in the same spot, trying to find the words to stay, figure out the movements to make. But it was Hook that finally broke the silence with the clearing of his throat.

"Love I honestly don't know why it pains you so greatly to admit to me that you like it here. I can see it in the way you act around the ship. I can see it in your eyes," he said quietly and she pressed her lips together. He was right; she knew. She always knew. But letting him know; she wasn't sure she wanted that just yet so she straightened herself upright and turned to face him, leaning against the table.

"I won't admit it because it's not true Hook. I'm just trying to be a gracious guest, even though it was YOU that kidnapped ME," she reminded him while crossing her arms across her chest and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Aye and if I remember correctly only a few sleeps ago you admitted that you were almost glad in a way that I did."

"I did NOT say that, you're twisting my words," she said back, a tone of annoyance mixed in her voice as she spoke. A dark laugh left his lips and she felt a shiver run down her spine, watching him sit up and scoot towards the edge of the bed.

"But it's what you meant and you know it. Honestly love you're like an open book."

"No I'm not!"

"Why are you so fucking difficult!?" he screamed at her while moving to his feet, quickly advancing till he was inches from her. "Why can't you let people in?" Her eyes were wide as he spoke. His demeanor was so different; his blood was boiling but for some reason she wasn't scared; she actually started feeling bad. Because he was right… and he was trying. She could see it in the way he was looking at her; he just wanted her to let him in. Not because he wanted to prove her wrong or have his way with her but because he_ genuinely_ wanted her. She could see it in the way he was nearly pleading her with his eyes. They were clouded with anger but there was a glint of hoping and wanting; willing her to open herself up.

"I… I don't know," Emma finally squeaked out, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"Well I bloody assure you that your life would run smoother if you did," he growled while pressing his forehead against hers. She put her hands against his chest and slowly moved him away from her, his hot breath driving her absolutely mad.

"Hook… everything that's happened meant nothing-"

"That kiss wasn't nothing!"

Emma's breath hitched in her throat and Hook began cursing himself in his mind. _Shit. That wasn't supposed to come out yet._ "Excuse me?"

"Nothing love… just forget-"

"No, what the hell are you talking about?" she questioned him while getting closer to his face, her body burning with confusion and frustration.

He sighed deeply before looking down at her furrowed face. "There was something else that happened the other night." He quickly licked his lips and bit the inside of his lip before continuing. "You kissed me. Twice."

Her eyes widened in complete shock as she began trying to wrap her brain around it, eyes drifting to the floor. Emma desperately wanted to remember that night but everything was a blur to her. As soon as he told her it though, she could faintly remember the feeling of his lips on hers, if ever so briefly. "I… I don't…"

"It happened love. I know you don't remember but trust me; I wouldn't lie to you."

"Hook… I'm… I'm a princess, I can't-"

"Aye, and I'm a pirate. Your point?" he prodded with an arch of his brow.

"Listen Hook… I was drunk. Really drunk. Whatever I did or said… I couldn't have meant it." She finally met his eyes, saw his face fall, and she swore she felt her heart shatter. The closer her got to her, the more his eyes pierced her, the more his accented voice cut through the tension, the more she felt the walls she had up starting to crack.

"To quote a beautiful blonde princess, 'A drunk tongue speaks sober thoughts.'" He gave her a slight smirk as he saw her breath stay caught in her throat. All she could focus on was the beginning of what he said. _A beautiful blonde princess. Beautiful._ People had called her beautiful her whole life but hearing it leave his lips caused her stomach to knot and heart beat to nearly stop. "You actually wanted to go so far as bedding me." He stepped closed to her, running his hand down her arm lightly. "Trust me though love, if I'm going to ravish you I want you to… _remember it._" He huskily whispered the last of his sentence in her ear, letting his hand set firmly on the curve of her hip. Her heart rate quickened as his hot breath met her neck, the crack in her walls increasing. She could feel it; her body was begging her to just let go.

"Hook…" she placed her hands gently on his chest and shoved him backwards a bit, creating needed space between the two of them. "I can't do this. I don't… I don't like being here-"

"God dammit Emma, just admit it to me! You're so bloody stubborn; you can't bear to let someone in!"

"I'm not going to admit something that isn't true just to stroke your already obnoxiously huge ego!" The tension that was already in the room was so thick it was suffocating them. Everything was building up between the two of them; nearly at its boiling point.

"Just say it!" Hook screamed at her as his arms flew out at his sides. Emma's breathing was rigid as she stared at him, chest rising and falling rapidly, every emotion she could feel surging through her body. And just like that, in the blink of an eye, she felt herself let go; forget about her fears, everything.

She didn't know who initiated it exactly; it was all a confusing blur. But before she knew it, his lips were crashing against hers, bringing her in for a hard, passion filled kiss. His left arm pulled around her back, keeping her against him, while his right hand cupped her cheek. She felt his fingers digging into the skin on her face as his lips moved easily against hers, keeping her as near to him as he could. Butterflies filled her stomach as she finally pulled away, trying to control her breathing while placing her hands on his chest. She held his gaze, his eyes piercing her deep, staring into her soul. There was no going back from this; no more excuses, no more lying. Everything building up between them had finally caught up to them.

Hook glanced down at her lips and quickly back up at her eyes, his mouth slightly agape and his hot breath falling against her face. Lust and desire filled his eyes as they glazed over before he shoved her back against the wall and captured her lips with his again. She flung her arms around the back of his neck as their lips devoured one another, each fighting for dominance in the situation. Hook's tongue slid along her bottom lip and she involuntarily parted them, tangling her tongue with his. She sighed against him and wrapped her arms tighter, wanting to feel him as close to her as she could. She had fought him for so long and there was no way she was letting this go quickly. His good hand gripped her hip tightly and he rocked forward ever so slightly, a groan escaping Emma's lips as he did so. He smirked against her and moved his lips to the crook of her neck, peppering kisses along the way. "Hook…" she said in a breathless whisper as his teeth grazed her skin. Her hand ran through his hair, tugging at it when he began sucking on her pulse point, triggering a soft moan to leave her lips. Hook smirked against her skin, continuing to treat her neck, knowing proudly that there would be marks from their tryst left over in the morning. His hook ghosted down her side, giving her thigh a tap and pushing on it. Emma quickly got the hint and hitched her right leg around his waist, pulling his hips into hers, causing both of them to go breathless for a moment.

"Gods Emma," he growled against her lips, sending shivers down her spine. His lips fell against hers again, moving effortlessly and claiming her. He gently grabbed her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged slightly, a deep sigh falling from her lips. Emma's emotions were running wild at this point; her adrenaline and hormones all mixing together and making her brain go dizzy. Her eyes fluttered close as his hand wrapped around the back of her neck, pulling her in for a fervent kiss that she swore she felt throughout her body.

As Emma's hands began sliding down Hook's chest a loud knock at the door cause them both to part instantly. Emma's breath hitched in her throat and she watched as Hook ran his hand through his hair, eyeing her quickly, before moving towards the door. His hand gripped the handle and opened it, furrowing his eyebrows when he saw who was on the other side. "What Smee," he asked, clearly annoyed.

"Heard yelling Cap'n, lots o' loud banging. Was gettin' worried about you two," Smee said, his voice shaking slightly, not making eye contact with Hook. Hook arched his eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at the man, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips.

"We're fine Smee. Just a misunderstanding. Everything's… under control now," he said with a smirk. Smee gave the captain a tight smile and began backing away from the door.

"Aye, sorry to interrupt," the man said with the wave of his hand before disappearing to the top deck. Hook closed the door quickly and turned back to Emma who was still leaning against the wall, eyes wide, taking everything in. He slowly approached her and cupped her cheek, bringing her gaze to meet his. His lips curled into a toothy smile and Emma felt her cheeks flush red while returning his smile. Hook trailed his fingers down her arm and found her hand, lacing his fingers with his before pulling her towards the bed with him. He sat against the edge and she stood between his legs, her hands resting comfortably against his shoulders as she towered somewhat above him. Hook's hand pushed her hair behind her ears before catching her lips again, skillfully moving his against hers. She smiled into the kiss, letting her body lean forward against him and pulling away briefly while leaning her forehead against his. Hook wrapped his arms strongly around her torso and pulled her against him, flipping them over so they were side by side, still facing each other. He unclicked his hook from its compartment and let it fall to the floor beside the bed. Emma's eyes caught his and she gave him a telling smile.

"Hook?" she questioned, his eyes prodding her to continue. "I really do love it here. I love everything about being on the ship. It's so different; in a good way. Every day I find myself thankful that all of this happened. As much as I miss my family… I'm just not ready to go home. Not yet." Everything she had been keeping from him poured out of her mouth so quickly that she wouldn't be able to take any of it back. Not that she minded this; letting herself go and letting her walls fall sent more relief than fear through her body.

Hook smiled at her, letting their noses brush as he leaned his face towards hers. "I know love," he said with a cheeky grin. "But it's nice finally hearing you say it." He gave her another quick kiss and then pulled her against his length, feeling her arms snake around his back. They held each other, not moving, each taking in the moment. How their bodies curved ever so perfectly to fit together like missing pieces of a puzzle and how their chests were falling in time with one another. Emma felt her worries fade away; everything seemed to open new possibilities of where her life could be headed. "I really enjoy your company Emma," Hook said quietly before planting a kiss on her forehead. She smiled into his chest and leaned her head against him, listening to the sound of his breathing. A scent mixed of leather, rum and saltwater washed over her as she kept her body flush against his, never wanting the moment to end. It was all too perfect.

She pulled away briefly and flipped her body over, pressing her back against him and he wrapped his arm around her stomach to keep her close. Hook let his face fall into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent, before leaving a kiss on the top of her head. "Goodnight love," he whispered against her before settling his body alongside hers. Emma sighed and relaxed into him, placing her hand over his and linking their fingers together as they both drifted to sleep.


	8. Chapter 7 -- Blissful Actions

**A/N: I am SO SORRY this took so long to get out! I honestly planned on writing WAY more last week but things kept coming up and I would get distracted from writing this and oy. I tried to make this longer to make up for how long this took to get out! Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews; you guys are the best. And they seriously make my day. **

**_WARNING:_ Smut-ish ness at the end of this chapter! If you're not a fan of smut, that's fine. You can stop reading where the ** are at and you won't miss anything! Promise.**

* * *

The sunlight shining through the window landed gracefully across Emma's face, waking her from her serene sleep. She felt her eyes flutter open, landing on Hook's sleeping face. A wave of happiness washed over her as the events from last night flooded her memory; there was so much passion and desire between the two of them. She glanced down and noticed they were tangled together below the hips and Hook's arm was still tightly around her torso. A smile crept onto her face as she studied his peaceful face, her fingers moving up to trail along his jawline, running lightly over the stubble that littered his chin. She quickly moved her hand to the top of his head, running her fingers through his hair and stopped to let her hand clasp the nape of his neck. Hook began stirring awake and soon his cerulean eyes met hers, his lips curling into a warm smile.

"Good morning beautiful," he rasped, while tightening the grip around her back and bringing his lips gently to hers. Emma felt her body sigh into the kiss, keeping him against her with a hard hold on his neck. He pulled away for a moment and then captured her mouth again, smiling against her as a quiet sigh snuck out past her lips. _I could definitely get used to waking up like this_, she thought to herself. They finally drew away from one another, breathing in each other's scents, a sudden warmth clouding over them, and happiness flooding over Emma's whole face.

The clattering of boots above them snapped their stares away from one another as an aggravated groan left Hook's lips. "Aye… I guess we should get up." He began to sit up and stopped abruptly before looking down at Emma with a lustful gleam in his eyes. "Or… we could have some fun," he purred, raising his eyebrows suggestively and letting his body tower above her.

Emma rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully on the shoulder as a chuckle left his lips. He pulled back and let her sit upright, leaning back on the palms of her hands. As Emma began to pull the blankets off her legs Hook turned her face towards his and stole another kiss, both of them finding themselves smiling against each other. They broke apart and reluctantly got out of bed, sending flirtatious smiles at one another has they got dressed.

* * *

As Hook watched Emma stride around the deck, talking with the crew and helping out where needed, he noticed a new gleam in her eyes. Her smile lit up everywhere she walked; she almost glowed. The sheltered princess that kept herself closed off to everyone, the princess that was afraid to fall for anyone, had finally let herself go. She was still strong willed, not about to take shit from anyone, but there was something different about the way she carried herself. She radiated a certain kind of happiness and a smile crept across the captain's face as he watched her blissfully throw her head backwards, laughing at something one of the crew had said. Emma's eyes glanced towards him and sent a coy smile in his direction. He bit his lip as she did, his eyes continuing to watch her as she walked around; he was mesmerized by her and everything she did.

Emma made her way towards him, the afternoon sun blazing against them, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Afternoon captain," she said cheerfully as her arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

"Hello love," he said while turning his head slightly to look at her. He momentarily pulled away from the helm when he felt her lean her head against his back, holding him against her. Emma took the opportunity to slip in front of him and grabbed the wheel herself, sending him a playful smile when she saw the dumbfounded look on his face. "Clever lass…" he said quietly while gripping her hip with his hand and letting his face fall against her hair. Emma smirked and leaned her back against his chest, enjoying the feeling of her body flush against his. "I must say though, you behind the wheel of _my_ ship does things to me love," he rasped as he let his lips graze the curve of her ear. "Especially when you're in leather." His thumb began rubbing her hip bones sensually and Emma felt her body tighten and breath catch in her throat, his thickly-accented voice sending chills down her back.

Hook snaked his arms around her lower torso and left a trail of kisses on the curve of her neck, Emma's cheeks burning, her modesty getting the better of her as they flushed red. "Gods you're beautiful," he mumbled against her neck, holding her as close to him as he could. He relished in the fact that he could do these things when he pleased now; there was no wall holding him back. He could hold her; he could kiss her, without the worry of her getting angry. Emma's eyes fluttered a few times, her cheeks still a rosy shade of red.

"Emma love, will you do me the honor and have dinner with me tonight?" he questioned while resting his chin a top her shoulder, letting his gaze fall to the side of her face. Emma smiled and looked over at him, still strongly grasping the handles of the wheel.

"Are you trying to court me, captain?" she asked flirtatiously, a smirk spreading across her face. He laughed leaned forward enough that his lips could just barely brush the top of her cheeks.

"Maybe… is it working?"

Emma turned her body around in his arms and faced him, leaning her back against the helm and catching his gaze with hers. "Maybe." Hook smiled at her and brought his lips to hers, his good hand moving up to cup her cheek. Emma smiled into the kiss, her hands falling against his chest and her mind still reeling as he pulled away. She leaned the side of her head against his chest, letting her arms snake to his back. Her eyes drifted towards the open ocean around them and smiled when she felt his lips meet the top of her head. The combination of his arms around her, the sea breeze blowing against her face and the salty air filling her lungs caused her to feel a good kind of lightheadedness; everything felt perfect.

* * *

Hook got a moment away and asked Smee to prepare him and Emma a nice dinner. Smee responded with a very adamant yes and a smile on his face, happy that Emma was giving the captain a chance. As night began to fall over the ship Hook approached Emma, offering his hand out to her. "Mi'lady, if you please," he said while leaning down slightly.

"You did not just bow to me," Emma said with a deadpanned tone, raising an eyebrow at him. He smirked and stood upright, keeping his hand extended to her.

"Aye, and if I did?"

"You know I could always reconsider this whole dinner thing," she teased while crossing her arms across her chest. He jutted his lower lip out and Emma rolled her eyes, putting her hand with his. "Lead the way, captain."

Hook kept a tight hold on her hand while pulling her towards his cabin. Once he opened the door he was pleasantly surprised to find that Smee had already set up their dinner on the table and the wonderful aroma from the food was filling the room. Emma's eyes widen when she saw the simple setup on the table and felt her heart beat quicken as they neared the table. Normally her instincts would tell her to run, to stop, don't get attached, but her heart was stopping these thoughts, finally loud enough to drown out her other thoughts and take a chance. Hook pulled out the chair for her and pushed it in once she was comfortably situated in it. "Always a gentleman," she replied as he moved to sit across the table from her.

"Don't forget it," he said with a wink while taking a seat. Hook reached for the flask of rum and poured himself a glass before looking up at Emma. "Lass I'm guessing you'll pass on this?" he questioned while gesturing to the flask. Emma nodded furiously, putting her hands out in front of her.

"It's going to be a while before I want any more of that."

Hook nodded understandingly and set the glass down, motioning to the plate in front of Emma as a way of telling her to eat. Emma sent him a smile and quickly dug in to the delightful smelling food on her place.

* * *

They spent the dinner mostly in silence, letting their glances and smiles do all the talking. Once they both had finished Emma felt her eyes begin to droop, a wave of tiredness hitting her faster than she had anticipated. As she let a yawn escape her mouth Hook got up from his chair and once again offered his hand to her. "You need to sleep lass," he said quietly. Emma smiled up at him and grasped his hand with hers, standing up from the chair, letting their fingers lace together. He led her over to the bed and motioned for her to sit down on the edge, kissing her gently on the forehead. "I've to go up and make sure the crew is set for the night, aye? I'll be back in a moment." Emma nodded and watched as the captain disappeared to the other side of the door, smiling to herself and letting the butterflies fill her stomach.

She took the time during his absence to rid herself of the clothing she was wearing, changing into the looser fitting clothes she wanted to sleep in. She fiddled with the shirt in her hands, realizing that she had been wearing it for the past few weeks and they hadn't had time to properly wash it. Her eyebrows furrowed forward and she began rummaging through Hook's closet before finally finding another shirt to wear. It was similar to the one she had been wearing, expect for the fact that it was most definitely a man's shirt; as she slipped it over her shoulders she laughed at how large it was on her. But she didn't care. She wrapped her arms across her chest and got into the bed, snuggling against the blankets.

Hook came back shortly thereafter but was surprised when he saw Emma had already fallen asleep. He rid himself of his shirt and quietly slipped in next to her, letting his eyes marvel at how peaceful she looked as she slept. He ran his hand gently through her hair, trailing it down her back, before pulling her against him and snaking his arms around her back. As he looked down at her again he couldn't hold back a smile, realizing she had slipped into one of his shirts, rather than one of the one's Milah had worn. He planted a kiss on top of her head nuzzled against her, relaxing and finding peace in the sound her breathing. "Goodnight my love," he said in a breathless whisper before finding himself falling asleep as well.

* * *

The next few days that passed started following a similar pattern. They would spend their days exchanging flirty glances, their evenings eating delicious dinners prepared by the crew, and their nights tangled close; falling asleep nestled against one another. Emma's mind would periodically fall back to their first kiss; at least the one that she was completely aware of. The kiss was so passionate and lust driven; and she felt herself beginning to crave the need for it again. She had never in her life felt so much desire for someone else, but at the same time was terrified to experience it for the first time. To her surprise nothing like it had happened since that night.

That wasn't to say that Hook didn't hold back on the welcoming comments. But he wanted her to initiate it; he didn't want to force her into something she simply didn't want. It was more or less to let her know where he stood and then he would wait for her to take the next step. He was, after all, always a gentleman. And he meant what he had said the night Emma was drunk; he didn't want her unless she was sober. He wanted it to be special; although that was new for him, Emma was different. She made him feel things he hadn't felt in a long time. After days of nothing sparking, although he wasn't against the cuddling throughout the night, he was beginning to believe the passion and desire that had surged between them was dying down.

Hook leaned against the table, glancing over the food set out on the table, when the door to his cabin slowly opened. He smiled when Emma appeared on the other side, a shy smile curling on her face. "Evening love," he said as she approached the table, taking a seat in the chair closest to her. He took a seat opposite her, watching her intently as her eyes seemed to dart around the room. "You alright Emma?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah I'm fine just… tired," she said. Half the truth. She was tired; but for some reason she suddenly felt her nerves strained around the pirate. She wanted to feel what she felt that first night; she wanted him. Her eyes followed his hand as he poured himself a glass of rum, nearly full to the brim, before clearing her throat. "Can you pour me one as well?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, questioning her with the expression on his face. "Please?"

"Are you sure lass?" Emma nodded and he grabbed a spare glass from the table, filling it halfway and sliding it to her with his hook. "We'll start with that much and see how you do." Although he was almost teasing her with this statement, he honestly didn't want to see her stumbling over herself again. Emma smiled and took a sip, relaxing against the burn that trailed down her throat, and then took another. If this was going to happen she was going to need a bit of liquid courage. _This could get interesting_. ******

* * *

This time around Emma was able to control herself better, stopping after two or three glasses. She could still feel the alcohol swimming in her system, her tipsy nature showing through the way she carried herself and her flirty tongue. To her almost surprise her words weren't slurring into each other, yet, but she felt lightheaded in a way and her body burned with desire to be close to Hook.

They had finished their dinner quite some time ago and soon they fell in silence, each staring down the other with their eyes equally piercing as they did. The rum flowing through Emma's veins gave her a new sort of confidence; the one she was hoping it would. She left her feet and walked as gracefully as she could towards Hook, a smirk spreading across his face as she got closer to him. "What are you doing Emma?" he questioned, a prodding eyebrow setting on his face.

"This," she said breathlessly as she fisted his shirt in her hands and brought his lips roughly to hers. Hook was surprised for a moment before moving his hand up to fit along the curve of her hip, their lips moving effortlessly against each other. Emma began to tug at his shirt, pulling him up out of the chair. He stumbled against her as she moved them backwards, stopping them when the back of her knees met the edge of the bed. "Sit," she rasped, finally pulling her lips away from his hold on them. He happily obliged, leaning his back against the headboard. Emma crawled towards him and let her legs lay on both sides of him, straddling his lap. Hook smiled up at her as he caught her lips again with his, his tongue trailing along her bottom lip. Emma quickly parted her lips, letting their tongues dance together in a passionate tango. She sighed against him, pulling herself closer than she thought possible, letting her arms wrap tightly around his neck. Hook ran his hand up her side, brushing over her shoulder, before tangling his fingers in her curls and cupping the back of her head. Overcome with the lust that filled the air, and the alcoholic motivation in her body, she felt her hips grind down against his, a groan leaving his lips as she did.

"Emma…" he breathed out against her lips, a playful smirk spreading across her lips.

"Yes captain?" she questioned, repeating the motion with her hips, causing his mouth to fall agape.

"Listen love," he struggled to find a way to put this, his hormones threatening to get the best of him. "It's not that this compromising state isn't wonderful, trust me. But I don't want to have sex with you when you're drunk." Emma furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head towards him.

"I'm not drunk!" she said, the words blending together more than she had anticipated. _Damn it_. "Do I look drunk to you?"

"Aye." A frown set on her face as she gave him a puzzling look.

"Well what kind of pirate would you be if you turned down a willing woman?" she lifted an eyebrow at him, letting her lips graze over his.

He moved his hand to gently cup her face, running his thumb over the burning skin. "I do quite fancy the idea of you letting me ravish you and have my way with you, but if that's going to happen you're going to be sober for it. I may be a pirate, but I'm also a gentleman," he responded without hesitation, not parting the distance between the two of them.

Emma let out a frustrated groan and leaned her body backwards, keeping her hands clasped tightly around his neck. "Fine. But I need _something_," she said while shifting her hips. "And honestly, I'm tipsy enough where if _you_ don't do it, I'll do it myself." She raised a challenging eyebrow at him and held his gaze, her eyes piercing him and pleading with him. Hook bit the inside of his lip as he felt himself getting lost in her green eyes; eyes that were clouded with lust. Normally, under other circumstances, he would gladly take a woman this willing without questioning it at all. And although her begging was making it harder for him, he couldn't bring himself to take her in this state; she was different. Still, her eyes continued to plead with him, her lower lip jutting out, as her hips softly moved against his again. "Please Hook? Something?"

In a quick movement Hook flipped the two of them over, his body now hovering above hers, as an intoxicated fit of giggles left her mouth. He captured her lips with his, slightly tugging on the edge of them with his teeth. He pulled away and sat up, un-clicking his hook from its contraption before he let it fall to the floor with a clang. As he did this, Emma took the opportunity to fiddle with the lacing on her pants, managing to shimmy them down her legs and throwing them to the floor. Hook's eyes met hers as he shifted his weight to his left arm, his right hand gripping her waist, as she pulled him in for another heated kiss. Emma cupped his face with her hands, wanting to feel him as close to her as she could. Her need for him was astounding, even in her inebriated state it surprised her. She needed something; she needed some sort of release. They had built up so much over the past couple weeks that it was dying to be let out.

Emma felt his fingers roughly digging into her hips bones and she let out a deep sigh. "Please Hook," she begged against his lips. Without any further prodding he let his hand trail down to her thigh, before rounding it to the front and meeting the hem of her underwear. He fiddled with it for a moment, a smirk tugging on his lips as her eyes fluttered. "Please," she rasped again, not fully aware of how much power she was giving him over her. He finally let his fingers trail under the fabric to where she wanted him most and Emma in took a sharp breath as they fell against her. He brought his lips to her neck before slipping a finger into her, causing Emma's back to arch in pure pleasure. "Hook," she breathed out as he began to slowly pump it against her, his lips sucking on the pulse point on her neck.

Emma had honestly never felt so many sensations surging through her body before, the rum only intensifying each of them more. She rocked her hips upward slightly, wanting to extract everything she could from this moment. Hook continued his actions, enjoying the moans of desire that were constantly falling through Emma's lips. If there was one thing in the world that he enjoyed it was pleasing a woman; especially someone as special as Emma.

The blissful moment seemed to pass far too fast and Emma soon felt herself clench around him. Her peak rocked throughout her entire body, a loud groan escaping her lips as he soon stilled his finger and removed it, smiling down at her as a look of pure delight was still spread across her face. She softly brought his lips to hers as he trailed his hand over the curve of her hip. "Was that satisfying enough love?" he asked against her lips.

"Yes. That was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful," she breathed out, continuing to calm her body down and get her breathing back to normal. She curled up next to him as she felt her body beginning to shut down after such an exhausting adrenaline rush, everything still somewhat hazy to her. Her face nuzzled against his chest and she let her eyes fall shut, feeling his lips ghost over the top of her head. "Goodnight Hook," she said quietly.

"Goodnight love," he said while trailing circles soothingly around the small of her back, lullabying her to sleep with the calming motions.


	9. Chapter 8 -- The Chase

**A/N: I'm terrible at updating and I super apologize for that! I just need to get through next week and it should be smooth sailing to the end of the semester for me. Sadly this chapter isn't as long as I was hoping, but the next one should be. I've actually been planning the events in the next chapter since I started the story, so I'm pretty excited to finally write it! Side note; HAVE YA'LL BEEN FREAKING OUT OVER THE NEW SET PICTURES? Because I have. I'm still on cloud nine if we're being honest haha. **

**ALSO super huge credit/thank you to **AdeleAwesome** for the idea for this chapter. I didn't even think about making a chapter like this, but I saw your comment on chapter 7 and my muse was freaking out and decided this needed to happen haha :)**

* * *

The harsh sun was beating down on Emma's face as she leaned against the railing of the Jolly Roger. The ship was keeping a calm pace through the water as they sailed to whatever town they happened across next. Emma had absolutely no idea where they were headed but for some reason she was at peace with it; the surprise that came with sailing to nowhere was almost better than having a set destination. She kept a weather eye on the horizon, instructed to take verbal note if she saw anything. But as she scanned back and forth all she met was open water, just the vast space of the ocean for miles. She smiled to herself and looked down at the ship slicing the waves below her. It didn't surprise her how much she enjoyed this little excursion she found herself on. Her father had a ship himself and from an early age she would beg and beg to let him take her out on it; but he never permitted it because he was afraid of what might happen to her. And as she got older he took it out less and less and to the best of her knowledge it now just sat docked, not being used in years.

She gazed up at Hook and felt another smile curl on her lips. Everything about this whole experience was surreal to her. If someone had told her weeks ago that she was going to be kidnapped by Captain Hook she wouldn't have believed them. And if they had told her that she would start to fall for the pirate captain she would have laughed in their face. But alas here she was in the middle of the ocean on a pirate ship with no intentions of going home anytime soon. It's pretty crazy how fast your life can change.

Emma looked back out at the ocean and felt herself become mesmerized by the moving waves until something far off in the distance caught her eye. It appeared to be another ship of some sort and Emma quickly brushed it off, thinking nothing of it. This was the open ocean after all; there were going to be more ships and Hook had once mentioned that there wasn't a thing to worry about unless the ship donned black sails, much like the Jolly Roger's. She soon noticed that ship appeared to coming after them and the closer it got the more of it she could see. And suddenly her heart stopped and her body went pale, eyes widening in fear.

The ship didn't have black sails. In fact, they were pure as white.

It wasn't a pirate ship at all. It was royals.

_**It was her father.**_

Emma snapped herself out of her trance when she realized how quickly the ship was catching up to theirs. "MAN THE SAILS!" she screamed, getting a hoard of confused looks from the crew and Hook as well. He furrowed his eyebrows at her as she ran to him, stumbling up the stairs, panic lacing her face.

"Love, what's the matter?" he asked, trying to conceal the concern in his voice.

"We need to speed this ship up. NOW."

"Why?" Hook finally looked towards the direction Emma had run from and saw the approaching ship, his mind piecing the situation together. "Emma, love, is that…"

"My father? Yeah it is. And unless you want him coming a board and removing your other hand you better get this ship moving."

Everyone began running about the deck in frenzy; ropes were flying everywhere and Hook continued to bark orders at the crew. The idea of Emma's father coming after her absolutely horrified him; he was a pirate but he knew there was nothing more terrifying than a father with vengeance to retrieve his daughter. They quickly opened up the sails that were flying flat and Emma felt the Jolly Roger speed up as the wind caught the insides of the sails. She kept her eyes over the railing, the nearness of the opposing ship turning her stomach in knots.

"They're gaining on us!" Emma yelled at them.

"Not for long. The Jolly's the fastest ship in the land. Trust me love, once she gets going there is no stopping her." Emma nodded understandingly but a sudden queasy feeling overtook her body. She couldn't face her father in this sort of situation. Not like this.

She watched in complete horror and shock as her father's ship continued to get closer to them. "Faster!" she demanded as the crew picked up the pace around the deck. Emma looked back at the nearing ship and her eyes widened, meeting the gaze of someone she hadn't expected. "Eric?" she said quietly. _You've got to be kidding me._ It was bad enough that her father was there, but the idea of having to face them both made her stomach tighten again.

It was soon becoming a race between the vessels. Although the Jolly Roger was incredibly fast her father's ship nearly rivaled its speed. And with the slower start they had encountered her it wasn't long until the other ship was only yards from them. "Ready the canons!" Hook shouted. Emma's eyes widened at the command and she ran to his side, gripping his arm tightly.

"Hook you can't-"

"Do you want to go home?" he asked, looking down at her eyes that were filled with fear and concern.

"Of course not!"

"Then we have to do this! It's the only way we can protect you!" Hook felt the pitch in his voice raising as he spoke, mainly because of the heightened emotions in the situation but also to make sure he could be heard over the hustle and bustle of the crew.

"Hook, I'm not going to stand here and let you destroy my father's ship!"

"Emma I can't lose you!" Hook yelled while finally meeting her gaze. Emma felt her face drop as she stared at him, pain blanketing the look behind his eyes. It equaled the look in hers that continued to plead with him, although this sudden admittance caused her stomach to fill with butterflies.

"You won't lose me Hook. I promise. Just please, find another way."

In another world Hook would have said to hell with the pleading. But he had never been pleaded with someone who had as entrancing green eyes as hers. He swallowed hard and looked down at the deck, contemplating his next actions. "As you wish. But if they try to board, don't be surprised if I don't halt my men." Emma nodded and drew him into a hug, relishing in the feeling of his arms protectively around her. Hook kissed the top of her head and pulled away quickly, ordering the canons to be brought back in and have the doors locked up. When Emma glanced backwards she noticed Eric standing on the rail of her father's ship, grabbing onto a rope for support. "Who is that?" Hook asked, capturing Emma's attention again.

"That's… that's Eric," she said cautiously, knowing he wouldn't be too keen on meeting the man that was _technically_ her fiancé.

"Man the helm, would you love? And on my count, turn the wheel as far left as you can," he asked while striding past her, jumping onto the railing, and mirroring Eric's stance on his own ship. The rival ship was soon parallel to theirs and Hook's crew secured the sides to keep anyone from jumping on board. Emma let her gaze travel across the opposite deck and was surprised when she didn't see her father anywhere. _What?_

"Aye, can I help you mate?" Hook asked Eric, a smirk appearing on his face.

"I do believe you have something of mine," Eric said while gesturing to Emma who felt her nose furrow at his choice of words. _Something of mine_. Yeah fucking right.

"Ah, so you just see her as a prize to be sought out now?"

"Just let her free and nobody will get hurt," Eric replied while drawing his sword out. Emma saw Hook stifle a laugh before he leaned forward, keeping his balance steady with the rope.

"Maybe she doesn't want to leave."

Eric scoffed and glanced over at her. "She's royalty. She would never enjoy being around the likes of you. You're scum. You're a pathetic excuse for a human being and you kidnapped her. And if you don't let her go I assure you I will come over and get her myself." Emma felt her blood boiling as Eric hurled insult after insult at Hook. It took everything in her to keep her from running over and defending him, screaming how much she hated the idea of their arranged marriage. But she kept herself calm, knowing that Hook could handle himself.

Hook suddenly drew his sword, cocking his head to the side. "I would love to see you try." Eric began to lunge for the ship and Hook turned abruptly, meeting Emma's gaze. "Emma, now!"

Without a second thought Emma jerked the wheel as far left as she could, causing the ship to splinter away from her father's. She stumbled slightly, catching herself on the wheel and holding it in place so they could fully turn away. Hook smirked mischievously as Eric caught himself on the rope, a wrong step threatening to send him in to the water below. The men aboard the other vessel were running around to put their ship on course but it was too late. The Jolly was already rapidly distancing itself from them and kept a steady pace. Emma felt herself let out the breath she was holding in as Hook jumped down and made his way over to her. She smiled meekly and let her face fall against his chest as his arms wrapped around her torso.

"I told you that you wouldn't lose me," she said quietly while leaning against him, wrapping her arms around his back and holding him close to her. Eric's voice suddenly pulled them away from each other and they looked back at him, seeing his fists clenched at his side.

"I WILL find you Emma!" he screamed as the distance between them grew. Emma smiled sarcastically and leaned against Hook, letting her fingers lace with his as she met his gaze.

"Doubt it," she said playfully while moving her lips to meet Hook's in a gentle kiss. She didn't have to look at Eric but she knew that he was undoubtedly fuming mad as he watched them. And for some reason she didn't care. He could go back to her Kingdom and tell her parents what he saw. He could tell them everything. Absolutely nothing was going to get in the way of her and Hook trying to find their happiness with each other.

* * *

Hours later after the sun had eventually set everything finally began dying down on around the ship. They kept the Jolly Roger sailing at a faster pace, not wanting to be blindsided again. But there was nothing on the horizon in all directions of the ship so the crew eventually took down the sails, slowing the ship to a near halt. It slowly floated along the waves and everyone let out a sigh of relief, exhaustion taking over them instantly. The crew all filed into their rooms; leaving Emma and Hook alone on the top deck. Silence fell over them as they stood side by side against the railing. Emma let her arms fall forward and hang over the side, still processing what had happened earlier in the day. The idea of her father not joining Eric was absolutely confusing to her; he would never let some man that he hardly knew take his ship out into the open ocean, even if it was to hunt her down. At the same time it was a little unnerving to her that he wasn't there; did he not want to find her? She was in no way wanting to go home but having to think about the idea that her father didn't want her home stung a little.

There was an unspoken understanding between Emma and Hook as he continued to let her mind be consumed by her thoughts; he didn't want to prod into something that would open her to a world of hurt. The last thing he wanted was to see her cry; the thought itself made him cringe with grief.

Instead he moved closer to her and let his arms wrap tightly around her waist, pulling her into him. She leaned her back against his body and sighed against him, feeling a certain comfort in his strong arms. He planted a kiss on the side of her head before leaning his head against hers, taking in the moment as they stood beneath the stars that filled the sky in every direction. Emma let out a heavy sigh and let her eyes fall closed.

"Sorry about everything that happened today," Emma said quietly, causing Hook to furrow his eyebrows at her.

"Don't be sorry lass, we were in need of a little adventure," he teased back, tightening his grip around her waist.

"No… not just that. I mean what Eric said to you." Hook chuckled and turned her by her waist, capturing her gaze with his.

"Love, I'm a pirate. I've heard much worse than that."

"Still. It was over the line. It definitely took a lot to not just run over there and lash out and him for it. At least now you can see why I don't want to marry him."

"He's definitely not the most charming bloke," Hook said, his gaze softening as his eyes met hers. "You look exhausted love. Let's head to bed, aye?" Emma nodded and grabbed his hand, following close behind him as they walked to his cabin.

* * *

They quietly got ready for bed, Emma's thoughts not turning off and keeping her brain pre-occupied. She didn't know why she cared so much about her father's absence but it continued to nitpick at her, threatening to get the best of her. _Keep it together Emma_, she told herself.

She crawled under the covers next to Hook and let her body relax into him, his arms acting like somewhat of a barrier to her. She felt safe next to him. Although it had only been a few weeks she felt closer to him than to some people she had known her entire life. She wasn't sure what it was about him that caused her to feel like that but she gladly accepted it, taking a leap of faith for once in her life. Her face must have fallen because before she knew it Hook's hand was gently cupping her cheek and lifting her face towards his.

"Is everything alright Emma?" She nodded, the frown refusing to leave her face. "I don't believe you." Her eyebrows shot up and she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes on his. "You're somewhat of an open book lass. If there's something wrong I assure you, you can tell me. I don't like seeing you like this."

"I just don't understand why my father wasn't there today," she said so quietly Hook had to strain to hear her. The broken tone in her voice caused his heart to fall, not entirely sure what to say to that. She sensed his hesitation and continued, adverting her gaze the pillows underneath her head. "It's not that I want to go home or anything. It was just… surprising I guess."

"Aye. Maybe he was tied down back at your lovely castle and couldn't make the journey."

"Maybe. I don't know why I care so much."

"Because he's your father. It's understandable love."

Emma felt tears welling in her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. Hook let his thumb softly brush across her cheek, wanting to will away whatever pain Emma was feeling. "Lass… if you ever want to go home all you have to do is tell me, aye?"

"I don't want to though, that's the point! I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you. It's taken me so long to finally open myself up to someone, I'm not just going to up and leave," she said, her voice straining as her thoughts continued to pour out of her mouth. "I'm just feeling so many different emotions right now. But I know that I don't want to leave. I love being here, especially with you."

Hook smiled sincerely down at her before bringing his lips to hers. He smiled into the kiss and when Emma pulled away he kept their faces close together, his gaze never breaking hers. And even though Emma was confused and somewhat upset about the day's events for whatever reason, there was one thing she was certain of. "I haven't been this happy in a long time," she said quietly, her eyes beginning to water with happy tears. "Even though it might not seem like it right this moment, it's the truth. I'm happy here, with you, like this." She lifted her lips to his once again, sighing into the kiss and placing her hands against his chest. This time Hook pulled away first, his soft stare still managing to turn her stomach in knots.

They laid there in silence, Hook running his hand gently through Emma's hair. It was calming, relaxing, and Emma felt her worries starting to wash away. Laying there with him, getting lost in his ocean colored eyes; she almost felt that three letter phrase threatening to slip out of her mouth. Maybe she was falling in love with him, or maybe she wasn't, but she was sure that she wasn't ready to admit it to herself. Instead she leaned against his chest, closing her eyes, and letting her worries fade away as she fell asleep nestled in his side.


	10. Chapter 9 -- Sword Fights & Realizations

**A/N: WELL I was planning on updating faster but I was having trouble figuring out how to end this. Then I just ended up typing a bunch and this chapter was a lot longer than I had originally planned haha :) But I was incredibly excited to write this chapter so I hope you all enjoy it! Brownie points if you pick up on the Princess Bride reference!**

* * *

Emma was pleasantly surprised when she woke up in the morning and heard the squawking of seagulls outside the window. She was half expecting to be in another heated chase but it appeared to her that Eric had given up on finding them. A smile spread across her face as she saw people running about outside the window on a tattered pier. It looked like they would be docked for the day and since Emma was still in need of new clothes she decided that's what she would spend the day doing. It would be nice to get off the ship for a little while. She looked around the empty room, figuring Hook had gotten up early to help them pull into port. After stumbling out of the bed, her legs still in a half-sleep state, she managed to finally grab her clothes off the backside of the chair and slipped them on.

She didn't waste any time and was soon out on the deck under the covered sunlight. Clouds littered the sky and off in the distance they were colored a dark grey. _I really hope it doesn't rain_, she thought to herself while letting her gaze trail over the ship, looking for Hook. She furrowed her eyebrows when it appeared she was alone and made her way to the gangplank before two sturdy arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"Were you looking for me darling?" Hook asked against the shell of her ear, his hot breath tickling over her skin. Emma felt a laugh involuntarily leave her lips as she leaned her head back against his shoulder, a smile widening across her face.

"I might have been," she said impishly as Hook turned her body around to face him. "Well good morning captain."

"Good morning love," he said with a raise of his eyebrows. Emma rolled her eyes playfully and placed her hands on his chest.

"So what's on the agenda for today? Because if we're going to be docked all day I'm going to do a little bit of shopping. These clothes are nice but they're a bit too worn in now."

"Well I'm not one to deny a woman the opportunity to get new clothes. As long as you allow me to help pick them out," Hook said while leaning his face closer to Emma's. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a quick peck on the lips before pulling away.

"Well are you coming captain?" she asked while walking towards the stairs leading off the ship. Hook put up his hand and attached his sword to his belt, reaching for what appeared to be another sort of belt. Emma cocked her head to the side as he moved across the deck and handed it out to her. She eyed the sword in the carrier attached to it and looked up at him, slipping it around her waist.

"Just in case," he said before leading her down the stairs of the ship. He ushered his hand forward, smiling down at her. "After you milady."

* * *

The journey into the town was a bit more challenging this time. While the marina offered many panhandling vendors, none of them were what Emma was looking for. After asking around a bit an older man running a booth with various treasures informed them that the selling district of the town was actually down a short path through a forest. So Emma and Hook found themselves wandering through a forest, thick with trees, eventually coming to the clearing that lead to the town. Emma's eyes widened in amazement as the two of them wandered down the street, enjoying the hustle and bustle from everyone trying to sell their items. Her eyes finally fell upon a small clothing vendor and she made her way over to the lady, beginning to dig through the fabric.

Once again Hook found himself watching in amazement as she held up the various articles of clothing, her face beaming as she did. The happiness in her actions caused him to feel things he hadn't felt in a long time. He had been in love once and he knew what it felt like, and in all honesty it felt something like this. But the idea of falling in love with someone so quickly was terrifying to him; that's not how life was supposed to work. And as he wasn't sure if Emma's feelings were that strong he kept his mouth shut. The idea of ruining the potential between the two of them wasn't something he wanted to dwell on.

His eyes perked up when he noticed her running her fingers over a gorgeously embroidered corset, his mind running to thoughts of her wearing it. "Aye love you should get that," Hook offered with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Emma chuckled and glanced back at him.

"Only if you're good," she said with a wink before continuing to look through the cart. _Minx._

* * *

Emma's shopping didn't take nearly as long as Hook had anticipated. She found a few shirts to buy, along with some pants, and even snuck in the corset when Hook wasn't looking. Emma paid for her things, gave the lady a thank you, and walked over to meet Hook where he had been standing and watching her. "All done?" he asked as Emma stashed what she got into her satchel.

"Yep! Ready to head back?" Hook nodded and let Emma walk a few paces in front him, his hand falling to the small of her back to guide her through the crowded streets. Once they reached the clearing the crowd of people panned out and they again found themselves alone in the woods, walking back to the Jolly Roger. Hook let his hand fall to his side as it swayed back and forth, brushing against Emma's as they walked. She gave him a small smile before grabbing his hand in hers, catching his attention before stopping her walking all together. He gave her a confused look as a sly smirk spread across her face. "You're not in a hurry to get back, are you?" she asked while taking a few steps towards him.

"Not anymore," he said, his voice low, while grabbing her hip with his hand and pulling her against him with his other arm. She captured his lips with hers, linking her arms around his neck and parting her lips slightly. He tangled his tongue with hers, exploring every nook he could, while she he tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to lavish her mouth. "Emma," he growled against her lips before beginning to push her backwards. She happily obliged and was soon stopped as her back met the bark on one of the trees nearby. Hook kept his body flush against hers, rocking his hips upwards teasingly as Emma groaned back at him.

"Are we really doing this here?" she asked, pulling away to catch her breath. Hook grabbed the back of her thigh and pulled her leg around his waist, keeping her steady with his hook, and leaned in close to her face.

"Why… scared we'll be caught?" he said breathlessly, teasingly rolling his hips again. Emma's breath hitched in her throat as she grasped the back of his neck and pulled his lips against hers, her fingers beginning to fiddle with the lacing on his shirt. The blissful pleasure that was searing between them was soon stopped cold as they heard someone behind them clear their throat.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Emma gasped and pushed away from Hook, her eyes widening in a state of embarrassment as she did. She was shocked to find not only a man standing behind them, dressed quickly similarly to Hook, but two men on either side of him as well. _How hadn't they heard them?_ "Captain Hook and the lost princess?" the leather clad man asked while approaching them.

"Roberts," Hook greeted through his teeth. Emma titled her head to the side, knowing the name sounded familiar to her. And then it all clicked.

"The dread pirate Roberts?" Emma asked. The man before her bowed and she bit the inside of her cheek, annoyance now spreading through her body.

"Pleasure to meet you, princess," he said with a smirk. The men behind him laugh quietly and Emma rolled her eyes. Hook instinctively pulled Emma towards him, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around her back.

"What do you want Roberts," Hook asked.

"I'm sorry to be interrupting your little rendezvous Hook," the man said with a smirk. "I'm still in shock the lady would let you touch her at all." Emma felt her body lurch forward but with Hook's arm still around her back she stayed in place, her knuckles whitening as her fists clenched at her side. "Aye that got under her skin a bit, didn't it men?" he asked to the two behind him who laughed again. _Who the hell was this guy anyway?_

"Well if you've nothing for us, we'll be on our way now," Hook said while beginning to pull Emma in the direction they were docked. The sound of a sword being drawn from its holder caused Emma to jump and suddenly the weapon was only inches in front of the two of them.

"You're not going anywhere," Roberts said while advancing toward them. Hook drew his sword and placed his arm protectively in front of Emma, a sudden wave of fear suddenly surging through her body.

"What do you want," Hook asked again through clenched teeth. Roberts gave them a cynical smile, keeping his sword at the ready.

"Well you see, that little blonde you've got there is worth quite an enormous amount of money. With her Kingdom in shambles and only weeks from being cursed her parents have generously upped the reward for her safe return. And I fully plan to receive it." Before Emma could even process what she was just told Hook was shoving her out of the way as his sword met his opponent's with a clang. Emma quickly got her feet and drew her sword, not entirely sure exactly what she was going to do with it. The men behind Roberts joined in the fight against Hook and Emma lurched forward, her sword coming in contact with Roberts'. The pirate looked up at her and smirked, the two of them beginning to duel while Hook stood his ground against the other two. She didn't know what she was doing to be honest but everything seemed to flow naturally from her. She dodged his hits and kept her stance steady, knowing that he could pull some sort of a trick out at any moment.

Roberts soon pushed his sword roughly against hers, leaving her unable to fight him back no matter how hard she tried. He moved her back until she was against a tree again and to her horror and a swift flick of his sword he disarmed her. She watched as the sword fell to the dirt out of her reach, her heart beat quickening as the blade of Roberts' sword as soon against her neck.

"Hook!" Emma managed to get out, her breathing becoming ragged in fear. Roberts laughed darkly and tilted his head to the side.

"Your precious pirate can't save you now lass," he said. Emma looked quickly over at Hook and watched him dueling with the other two men. All she wanted to do was help him out but to her surprise his sword soon pierced through one of the men before disarming the other. His impressive sword baring skills caused her breath to hitch again in her throat as she turned to attention back to the man holding her against the tree. She tried to shimmy away but he moved his arm against her chest. "Nice try, princess. You're coming with me," he hissed. Emma glanced back at Hook she saw him grab her sword off the ground a smirk plastered on her face once he threw it to her awaiting hand.

"You wish," Emma said with a matter-of-fact tone. Everything transpired so quickly that Emma wasn't sure exactly how it all happened. But with the sudden realization that Emma's sword was back in her hand Roberts pulled away and left his guard down for a moment too long. Emma hitched her knee upward and gave the man a hard shove, causing him to keel over backwards and fall to the ground. She hovered over him and pressed her foot firmly down against his chest, keeping the tip flat underneath his chin. "You were saying?" she asked, her chest falling heavily as she caught tried to catch her breath.

"You're bloody brilliant," Hook said while cupping her face and pulling her lips to his, giving her a hard kiss that Emma felt herself smiling into. They pulled away and Emma looked at the man under her foot and gave him a smile before pressing her foot hard against his chest and removing it. Roberts turned over in a coughing fit and Hook held his hand out to Emma, which she gladly accepted as they made their way back to the Jolly Roger.

"You won't be able to hide forever," Roberts weezed out, causing Emma to turn back around toward him. "Either your family will find you or you'll come to your senses." Another coughing fit stopped him from continuing but Emma felt herself planted against the ground, unable to keep moving although Hook was tugging on her hand. "Are you honestly going to let their Kingdom fall apart?" Roberts asked, staying curled on the ground. Emma felt her heart drop with the question but a harder tug from Hook made her turn around.

"Come on love, let's get out of here." Emma nodded slowly and began walking in pace with him, taking one last look back at Roberts, as they headed back to the ship.

* * *

Everything Roberts had said to her continued to echo in her mind and as much as she tried, Emma couldn't shake the thoughts from her head. The fact that her Kingdom was falling apart made her sick to her stomach and she could hardly bare to think about what her parents were going through. No wonder her father wasn't with Eric yesterday. They were most likely franticly trying to keep the Kingdom under control and keep everyone calm. She had been so sure that staying with Hook was right but with all this new information clouding her judgment, she didn't know what to think.

The pair found themselves alone on the deck of the ship again later that night, the cool breeze washing over them both. Neither of them said a word; Emma had been silent since their run in with Roberts and Hook could tell something was wrong, but he wanted to wait for her to tell him what it was. As he had learned, prodding would just get under her skin and wouldn't help the situation at all.

Emma's mind began to imagine what would happen if the curse overtook the Kingdom; she saw an inferno of despair, people scrambling to escape, utter chaos. The images wouldn't leave her head and she felt a tear slip down her cheek as she pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to will away everything. She soon felt Hook's hand creating calming circles on the small of her back and everything seemed to fade to black as the first sob escaped her lips. Before she could even process what was happening tears were streaming down her face, her sobs echoing over the deck of the ship. _Get it together Emma,_ she tried to tell herself to no avail. The tears continued to fall and she felt a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't surprised when Hook's arms suddenly wrapped tightly around her torso. She turned so she was facing him and roughly wrapped her fingers around the lapels of his jacket, letting her face fall against his chest. She didn't see Hook's face wretch as she continued to cry and tried to find comfort in his arms. He kept his hooked arm tightly against her back while his hand tangled in her hair and let his fingers run soothingly through the curls. Emma tried to steady her breathing but she continued to cry, her trembling body soon falling nearly limp against Hook's chest. He braced himself and kept her upright, wishing he knew how to help her, but still knowing that nothing would ever really be enough.

The images were all she could seem to think of. They wouldn't go away. The thoughts, the ideas, the pictures of her family in shambles. Another agonizing sob left her lips as she wrapped her arms around Hook's back, clutching onto him like her life depended on it.

"Emma, love, talk to me," he whispered in her ear with a shaking tone in his voice. All Emma could do was shake her head back and forth and bury her face harder against his chest. "It's okay, I'm here, just breathe Emma." Seeing her in such a fragile state truly pained him; she was such a strong person that this unnatural behavior cut him to the core. It was something he hoped he would never see again and she would never have to feel.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality were only a few minutes, Emma pulled away slightly, keeping her gaze away from his. He could still see the red tint in her eyes, across her face. He let his hand cup her face as his thumb ran across her cheek, wiping away the tear that was still present on her face. "I'm sorry," she finally spoke, her voice threatening to choke in her throat.

"There's nothing to be sorry about love, I just wish you would tell me what's wrong," Hook said gently, keeping his hand cupped around her jaw.

"My family. The past few days they've been on my mind and after what Roberts said I can't get these images of the Kingdom falling apart out of my head," Emma was finally able to explain, taking calming breaths as she spoke. Hook's face fell and he leaned his forehead against hers, his breathe quietly falling on her face.

"I'm so sorry Emma," he said quietly. "You know you can go back at any time if you so please, right?"

"What about the money?" she asked him.

"I don't give a damn about the money anymore. I don't want to see you like this love." Silence flowed between the two of them and finally Hook let out a sigh. "Can I be honest for a second love?" he asked. Emma nodded and looked up at him, eyeing him carefully before he spoke. "What Roberts said may not entirely be true." Emma furrowed her eyebrows but before she could question him, Hook continued. "Word like that travels. Even to men like us, out on the open ocean. But prior to today, I had heard nothing of the sorts. Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you, love?"

Emma glanced at the ground, letting this idea sink in. "I guess," she said softly, feeling her head tilt against the hand still wrapped around her face.

"I'm in no way trying to say this to convince you to stay with me. God knows I never want to lose you, but if you have obligations to save your family what kind of man would I be to stop you?" Hook finished his sentence by planting a soft kiss on Emma's lips. "I just don't want to see you worrying about it if it's going to reduce you to this state every time. It's not an easy thing for me to watch, love. And I know it's just as painful for you." Emma nodded and gave him a trying smile, linking her arms around his neck. "We'll keep an ear out for any more information and if things are in fact as bad as Roberts said, we'll take you home. Aye lass?"

Emma answered him by bringing her lips against his, wanting to feel the warmth of him pressed close to her. His armed wrapped tightly around her acted like armor; she felt safe next to him. "Let's head to bed, shall we?" Hook asked as he pulled away, his lips ghosting over her forehead. Emma nodded and let her hand trail down and clasp with his as they walked back to his cabin.

Her brain was still flooding with "what-if" situations but at the same time, she saw the point Hook made. Roberts warned they had a week, and with the pace the Jolly Roger could travel, waiting a day or two for more information didn't seem like a bad idea. While she wanting to get home, especially if her family was in trouble, she didn't want to leave Hook; she wanted to be on the ship as long as she could. She tried to wipe the images from her mind as the two of them made their way to the main cabin, just wanting to let herself be happy for once with no worries in the world. And although moments before it may not have entirely seemed like she could, she had a gut feeling with Hook it would be possible.


	11. Chapter 10 -- I'm Sorry

**A/N: Well here is the chapter that I'm guessing many of you have been waiting for, and the reason that this story is rated M. Yep, there's smut in this one! If you have an issue with reading smut (which is totally fine, completely understand) just scroll about halfway down to where the FIRST page break is, and you'll be fine, all the smut is at the beginning. And this is the longest chapter I've written! Party time. And side note, try not to hate me for the end of this chapter. Okay I'm done rambling go read now ha.**

* * *

Emma let go of Hook's hand as they entered his dimly lit cabin, keeping all of her raging thoughts to herself. She knew that if she couldn't find some way to ease her thoughts she wouldn't be sleeping later that night; she needed an escape. As she moved to fiddle with the lacing on the corset that was wrapped tightly over her lose wearing shirt, Hook cleared his throat, drawing her eyes to him.

"Yes?" she questioned, her brows furrowing forward.

"I just realized you never showed me what you bought today," he replied simply, crossing his arms across his chest while leaning against the wall.

"I didn't know I needed to," she replied teasingly while walking over to her satchel and pulling the garments from it. She placed them onto the table in a heap, moving her eyes to meet with his. The blue laced corset stood out among the dull colored shirts and she saw Hook's eyes widened once he noticed it. Her lips curled into a tight smile, a sudden rush of accomplishment coming over her.

"Ah, so you did buy it." The near growl that left his mouth sent shivers down Emma's spine. Hook began advancing towards her, reaching the table in a few strides. He let his fingers toy with the lacing before looking down at Emma, his eyes flickering to her lips. Emma could almost feel the mood in the room shift; the images clouding her mind began to slowly fade away as Hook's eyes, blue as the sea, stared her down. She could see the look in his eyes change, a hungry look of lust filling them, and her heart beat quickened. Although she wasn't sure what sparked this change, she was pleasingly fine with it, letting a sly smile curl on her face.

"It appears I did," Emma said quietly. Hook raised an eyebrow and began inching closer to her, grabbing the material in his hand as he did. He held it up below her chin, eyeing it carefully, before looking back to lock eyes with hers.

"Well it'd be a pitty to see it just sit meaninglessly on this desk and not be worn, wouldn't you say?" his voice had fallen to a sultry tone, only inches now separating their faces. The tension in the room immediately thickened and now Emma's mind was only focused on one thing; Hook.

"It would be a crying shame," she said back, her eyes momentarily falling to the laced fabric in his hand. He gestured it towards her while leaning his head down towards the crook of her neck.

"Put it on for me love?" His voice was so deep that his accent immediately thickened, sending shockwaves throughout Emma's body. A sudden rush of confidence surged through her as she leaned up, grazing her lips across the shell of his ear.

"Why would I do that when you're just going to take it off me?"

As soon as the sentence left her mouth it triggered something within Hook. Before Emma knew it she was pressed flush against the wall, Hook's mouth crashing against hers, devouring her. Her fingers tangled in his hair as their lips moved effortlessly with one another's. Emma gasped as Hook rocked his hips upwards against hers and with the parting of her lips he took the opportunity to let his tongue tangle with hers, deepening the kiss more than either of them thought possible. Emma's fingers fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, but Hook was keeping her attention elsewhere, so she pulled away to focus on getting the shirt off him. His lips trailed along her curve of her neck, gently sucking on the skin as she tilted her head to give him better access, her fingers finally able to pull the buttons through the loops.

"Hook," she said breathlessly while tugging the material off his shoulders, immediately running her hands up his chest before securing them around the nape his neck. Emma gasped as his namesake looped into the lacing on the front of her corset and tugged down, ripping it in half and leaving her top half covered only with a flimsy fabric. A whimper escaped her lips as she felt the weight on her torso completely relived, still a bit upset he ruined the garment.

"No time to waste, love," Hook growled lowly in her ear, nipping at the lobe while pressing himself firmly against her. "We can fix it later."

Emma let her hands slide down his back, sensually feeling every pulsating muscle as she did. She sighed and leaned her head against him as his fingers began tugging at the lacing on her pants, a frustrated groan escaping his lips as he fumbled with them. He raised his hook to the top of the ties but Emma quickly halted his motion, the sudden stop pulling his gaze up to hers. "You're not ruining these too. Let me do it."

She quickly undid the lacing and shimmed the tight leather down her legs, throwing it off into a darkened corner. Hook took the opportunity to do the same with this, skillfully pulling them off in a swift motion, throwing them in the general direction that Emma's landed. She cocked an eyebrow as she realized he was completely bare under his pants and she felt her cheeks involuntarily blush a deep shade of red as she took in his appearance. Goosebumps trailed down her arm as he hungrily stared her down, licking his dry lips in the process. He quickly closed the gap between the two of them, passionately capturing her lips in his. "Bed," he growled against her lips, pulling her off the wall and pushing her towards his mattress. Emma fell on top of it gracefully, letting her head drop against the pillows as Hook moved to hover over her, his hand trailing down her side to the bottom of her shirt. Emma lifted her arms above her head, giving Hook a knowing look, as he slowly slid the material off her, leaving upper half completely exposed to him.

"Gods you're beautiful," he whispered lowly, running his hand up to toy with her chest, a pleased sigh escaping her lips. He sat up and unclasped his metal appendage from its compartment, letting it fall to the floor with clang.

"Hook," she spoke breathlessly as he slowly lowered himself on top of her, let his hips teasingly move forward, a groan leaving both their lips simultaneously. "Please."

"Say my name," he growled as he caught her lips with his, his tongue flicking across the edge of them.

"What?" she questioned as she pulled away quickly before his lips descended on her again, deepening the kiss from before.

"My name," he repeated through clenched teeth, pulling away and trialing his lips along her jawline. Emma groaned when she felt his fingers ghosting down her side and loop into her underwear, tugging at them. "Say my name Emma." Emma lifted her hips off the bed, letting Hook pull the garment down her legs and throw them off to the side of the room. His hand gripped her hip tightly as he aligned his hips with hers, his lust clouded eyes locking with hers.

"Killian," she breathed out, a begging tone underlying it as she did. And that was all it took for him to be _there_ as he moved his hips forward, a gasp leaving Emma's lips. Her hands wrapped around his back, pulling him down as close as he could be to her. His hot breath tickled across her face as his hips gradually moved up and back down, creating a slow pace. He wanted this to last; to mean something. This wasn't just some two cent whore from off the street; this was Emma. His Emma. His love. And he needed her to know how special she was to him.

The night had started off so hurriedly, hungry, passionate, but now that they found themselves tangled together Hook kept his movements going at a leisurely pace, kissing from the curve of her shoulders, along her collar bone, up her neck, finally meeting her lips. It was a deep kiss; but Emma could feel the outpouring of love and compassion from it, a breathy sigh escaping her lips as he continued to rock his hips against hers, filling her completely. "God Killian," she whispered against his lips; her eyes fluttering shut and her head falling back into the pillow firmly.

He kept the slow, loving pace for a while, whispering sweet nothings in Emma's ear as he did, her emotions running on over drive. "More," she finally said, lifting her hips to meet his movements and wrapping her legs around his waist, feeling her release creeping up on hers. Hook obliged, speeding up his thrusts and re-angling his hips, and Emma wasn't able to hold back the cry of bliss that fell from her mouth. "Killian!"

Hearing his name falling from her lips, seeing the look of pleasure washed across her face, feeling her taut around him was enough to send his hormones running wild. His movements soon became hurried and sloppy, his own release nearly peaking. "Come on Emma," he whispered in her ear. "Come on love."

A sharp cry left her lips as her release hit her hard, pleasure washing over every inch of her body. Another hard thrust and Hook followed her over the edge, letting out a deep low groan. He fell limply against her body, both of them trying to control their raged breathing, still coming down from their high. "Gods Emma," Hook said breathlessly, a light chuckle following as he kissed her tenderly. "I must say love, there is nothing more pleasant than hearing you say my name."

Emma smiled and softly ran her hands up and down his back. "So that's what gets you off, huh?" she said playfully as Hook rolled off her, letting his back fall onto the mattress.

"Oh you have no idea." Emma curled into his side and rested her hand against his chest, letting the smile continue to press into her cheeks.

"Well maybe I'll start calling you that more often," she said quietly, kissing his cheek quickly before leaning her head onto the front of his shoulder.

"I would despair if you didn't," he said with a smirk which slowly turned into a soft set smile on his face as he looked down at Emma. "You were wonderful love."

"You weren't too bad yourself, Captain," she teased while looking up to meet his affectionate gaze. She gave him a small smile before leaning up to meet his lips. She had a burning desire to tell him, tell him that she loved him. Pour out all of her feelings, her emotions. But her brain kept telling her not too; she didn't want to scare him away, ruin what they had by saying those three little words too fast. She had fallen so hard, so fast, that even she was terrified by it. But as she pulled away Hook moved onto his side, capturing her gaze and cupping her cheek with his good hand and what left his lips caused her stomach to fill with butterflies.

"I love you so much Emma."

Her breath hitched in her throat and to her shock her eyes started tearing up almost immediately as she realized what he said. She let out a trying laugh, a tear escaping down her cheek, as her whole body filled with happiness, a feeling she honestly hadn't felt in a long time.

"I love you too."

The smile that spread across Hook's face could have lit up the deep pits of hell. He pulled her into a kiss, a kiss so loving and passionate that Emma felt as though she was melting with his touch. Hook drew his lips away from hers and pulled her into his arms, wanting to feel her flush against him with no plans of ever letting her go. They both let the silence in the room consume them, falling asleep to the sound of the other breathing, feeling a certain happiness that could only be described in one way; love.

* * *

They spent the next few days at sea, looking to dock as soon as they could. Although Emma was anxious to find news about her Kingdom, Hook (or Killian, as she had begun to refer to him as) kept her mind off things fairly well. He kept her busy around the ship during the day and if he saw her start to falter, he would continue to talk to her until she would stop thinking about it. During the nights they stayed close to each other, making love under the starry sky, drinking in each other's presence. Emma actually felt _happy_.

She woke up alone in bed a few mornings later, still tired from events that occurred the night before. Hook had said he wanted her to remember it when he ravished her; and she definitely wouldn't be forgetting the times he had anytime soon. Her feet quietly pattered across the wooden floor to the door but she stopped when she heard voices coming from the top deck.

"So, is it true?" she heard Hook ask. She stood still as she could, listening best she could through the ceiling.

"Sadly it appears it is. There are hundreds of notices around town with rewards posted. I heard whispers from vendors that the Kingdom is only a week from being cursed." Emma's mouth fell agape as she processed the words through her mind. It was true. All of it was true. Her family was in trouble. Suddenly everything she had been trying to forget about came back in flashes. She felt her legs tremble and leaned against the table for support, continuing to listen to the conversation taking place.

"Aye… I was afraid of that…" Hook's voice said, quietly enough that she could barely make it out.

"You have to tell her, Captain," the other man spoke. She waited for Hook to respond but was instead greeted with the sound of footsteps leading to the cabin. Emma quickly rushed over to the edge of the bed and sat down, trying to hide the look of hurt that was clouding her face. The door opened and Hook appeared.

"Afternoon love," he said while advancing towards her, cupping her face, and bringing her lips to his. She sighed against him and let her hands fall gently against his chest.

"Afternoon Captain," she responded playfully as she pulled away and wrapped her arms around his torso, leaving her hands planted firmly against his back. "So, we're docked again today?" she questioned while gesturing her head to the window, where the sight of a broken down town yard away on the shore could be seen.

"Aye. Noticed the ship is in need of a few repairs. Got to touch her up a bit and we'll be sailing away again soon." Hook removed himself from her grasp and strolled over to the desk, fiddling with the papers and maps that cluttered the top of it. "We'll be docked overnight; I'm assuming that's fine with you?"

Emma nodded and crossed her arms over her chest tightly, moving to stand up and lean against the edge of the bed. "Killian?" she prodded, causing a smile to tug against his lips.

"Aye?" The smile stayed plastered on his face as he advanced in her direction, relishing in the sound of his name falling from her lips. She had begun to use it more often since their first night of pure intimacy, and although he was still getting used to someone referring to him as Killian, he actually appreciated it.

"Is there anything we need to talk about?" She was fishing for answers, trying to pry it out of him. She wanted him to tell her, now. His eyes widened a bit at the question and he stood still in tracks, letting his fingers ghost across his chin.

He knew he needed to tell her, and he had every intention of doing so- but not right now. Not so early in the day where she would spend every minute dwelling on it, letting herself fall into that vulnerable and suffering state. "No," he answered simply. "Why do you ask?"

Emma felt her heart tighten as he answer. He lied to her; straight to her face. Was he really not going to tell her? "Oh… um that's fine, I was just curious, you were acting sort of different," she responded with as much confidence as she could muster up. Hook closed the space between them and planted a kiss softly on her forehead.

"My apologies darling," he said while locking his eyes with hers. "I've to go check on the crew. Come and find me once you're dressed." With one last smile he disappeared behind the door and Emma's stomach lurched forward. _What just happened?_

* * *

While Hook worked on getting the Jolly Roger ready to set sail again the rest of the crew went ashore to what pirates do best when they're docked for a night; flock to the local tavern and have a few drinks, hoping they'll get lucky with one of the wenches loitering in the street around the establishment. Emma stayed in Hook's cabin, not exactly interested in partaking in that, and let her mind wander with what she could do in the situation she found herself in.

Although Hook wasn't telling her about her Kingdom, she was obviously aware of the state they were in. She knew she needed to get back, but wasn't sure how she would. There was the idea of confronting Hook, forcing him to tell her and take her home. Or she could wait and see if he tells her on his own accord. But the other idea looming in her mind began to take precedence over all the others; running away. Fleeing the ship in the dark of the night, contacting someone on the shore, and having her father come get her. It was risky and rebellious, especially knowing she would have to find the right person to help her contact her family. She wasn't even sure how far away from home she was at this point; but for some reason her brain kept bringing her back to the idea of taking the situation into her own hands.

Night slowly engulfed the hull of the ship and Emma decided to finally get herself up from Hook's bed, making her way to the door. She opened it and stepped out onto the deck, surprised to come nearly chest to chest with Hook who was moving towards his cabin. "There you are lass, I was starting to worry," he said almost breathlessly, letting his hand curve around her jawline. "Come, I need to tell you something." Hook grabbed her hand in his and pulled her back into his cabin, shutting the door behind them. "Sit," he said while gesturing to the bed. Emma's stomach was in knots as she sat on the edge of the mattress, noting the look of concern evident on his face.

"Killian, what's wrong?" She knew the answer, she had a feeling he was about to tell her about her Kingdom, but she played it off like it was entirely new information to her.

"I may have told you a bit of a lie earlier," he said quietly as he sat beside her. "There is something we need to discuss. It's been brought to my attention that the rumors milling about are true." Hook grabbed her hand with his, lifting it to his lips and planting a kiss on the top of it. "Your Kingdom is in despair, Emma. There are countless flyers around town begging for your safe return." Emma stayed silent, her eyes fixed on the floor, letting everything sink in. Those horrid images were suddenly flooding again and hot tears were welling behind her eyes. But she quickly blinked them away. She was going to be strong tonight. She had to be, for her sake, and his. "Emma, love, please say something."

"I don't really know what to say," Emma said softly, lifting her gaze to his face. She felt her cheeks burning as she held back her tears, and tried to give Hook a smile.

"What do you want to do?"

Emma knew what she wanted to do. What she needed to do. She had to go home, see her family, help them. But the fact that she had to leave Hook, Killian, to do so was heartbreaking. "Killian… these past few weeks have been wonderful and I've fallen more in love with you every day-"

"But you need to go home," Hook finished, his voice falling as he did. Emma nodded, a tear slowly slipping over the curve of her cheek and dropping down to her legs.

"I can't let my Kingdom fall Killian, nor try and make my parents fix it alone. Not if I'm aware of it. I need to go home, figure out a way to stop the curse without marrying Eric." Eric's name falling from her lips caused Hook to noticeable cringe and pull backwards; Emma gave him a smile and ran her fingers through his hair before clutching the back of his head, locking his gaze with hers. "Killian, I love you. Don't forget that. I will find a way for us to be together."

Emma brought her lips firmly against his, linking her arms around his neck. Hook's hand pressed into the small of her back, keeping her against him. She pulled back and kept her forehead touching his, watching carefully as his namesake brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I know love. I trust you. We'll take you in the morning, aye? As long as you can assure me that your father won't have me be-headed," he responded with a smirk, causing Emma to roll her eyes.

"I can't promise you anything. But I'll make sure it doesn't happen."

Hook's eyes filled with a glint of remorse and sadness as he let his lips graze the top of hers. "I'm sorry you're going through all this. Had I known that kidnapping you would have brought you this kind of pain I would have left you in the forest that day."

"But then I would have never met you and been unhappily marrying a man in the next few days. I didn't realize it at the time but you saved me that day Killian. You helped show me a world I would have never seen otherwise, and that's why I fell for you. We're going to be okay, I swear." Emma laced their fingers together, giving his hand a tight squeeze before pushing herself backwards on the bed, propping herself up with her elbows. "Let's sleep now, okay? We're going to have a long day tomorrow and I'm exhausted."

Hook smiled and let his body fall against the mattress, bringing his arms around her and holding her close to him. "As you wish," he said quietly while planting a kiss behind her ear. "I love you Emma." Emma relaxed herself into him, a smile tugging on her lips.

"I love you too."

* * *

Emma was feeling good when she initially tried to let herself be overcome with sleep, but it's incredible how fast darkness engulfing you can change your train of thought. She felt confident earlier but those doubts that were only simmering in her mind soon began to spread like rapid fire and now consumed everything within her. _What if she didn't get home in time? What if her parents didn't care about her and Killian being together? What if he father ordered for Killian to be killed for taking her in the first place?_

The crew came back near the stroke of midnight, their loud talking and patter of boots keeping her from her sleep. She tried to find solace within Hook's arms but nothing was helping; the deep calming breaths were useless and the more she tried to fight the doubts in her mind, the longer they stay permanently running through all her thoughts.

And that's when she heard it.

It was so quiet that if the room hadn't been immersed in silence she would have missed it. A quiet horse's neigh came from the shore, followed by a man yelling orders of some sort. Emma pried herself from Hook's grasp slowly as not to wake him, sat up, and looked out the window. She saw 5 men, clad in white, riding on stallions through the town. Her eyes shot opened when she realized it was the same men her and Hook had run into a while back and a sudden lightheaded feeling took over her body as thousands of scenarios plagued her mind.

What if they saw the ship docked? They surely would recognize it and knowing them, would come aboard to look for her. What would happen to Hook? Would they take her home and leave him on the ship? Would they take him back to the Kingdom to be killed?

Her hand immediately came up to her forehead, trying to pound away the thoughts of Hook losing his life because of all of this. And that's when the plan crossed her mind. The only way to save Hook for sure, to positively know that he wouldn't be punished at all, was to make the journey home herself. Or in this case, approach the men and let them take her home, making them promise to not hurt Hook.

Emma took a deep breath and slid herself from the confines of Hook's arms which were still loosely around her and let her feet gently fall to the floor in the room. She turned around and bit the inside of her lip, letting the tears that were welling in her eyes fall slowly down her cheeks, burning them a shade of red. This wasn't how she wanted to leave, she wanted to properly say goodbye. But if she woke him now he wouldn't let her leave. It was the only plausible option currently in her mind.

"I love you Killian," she whispered softly before swiftly moving towards the door and slipping onto the other side, leaning her body briefly on it for support. The last thing she planned on doing was leaving him; maybe when she was first taken, but not anymore, especially not now. She wanted to be with him, but her royal obligations to her family took precedence as much as it pained her to admit.

Emma slowly lowered the gangplank off the side of the ship, taking a few more calming breaths before stepping onto the first stair. But she was caught off guard when a voice behind her spoke.

"Where are you going princess?"

Emma whipped around, her hand falling over her chest in surprise, as she saw Smee standing there with a confused expression falling on his face. "Smee you scared the shit out of me."

"Are ye leaving?" The words came out in such a pained tone that Emma felt her heart drop. She leaned against the railing of the stairs and kept her gaze from his, unable to look him in the eyes.

"I have to. I need to go home and help my family and this is the only way that Killian will for sure be safe."

"We don't want ye to go though." Emma felt a sad smile tug on her face as she kept her lips pressed tightly together.

"I don't want to go either, but it's something I have to take care of. I'm so sorry Smee. I promise that after we fix everything I'll come back and find you all."

"What about the Captain?"

Emma fought back the tears in her eyes and let her gaze fall to the wooden planks flooring the Jolly Roger. "I'll come back for him. I promise I will. You have to let me do this." She finally lifted her gaze to the crewman and watched him nod understandingly in her direction. Emma gave him a small smile and moved down the stairs, landing on the dock below. "Thank you for everything Smee," she said to him. Smee smiled and pulled off his red cap before bowing slightly towards her. Any other time she would have rolled her eyes in annoyance at someone bowing to her but the genuine action behind it caused her to let a smile spread from cheek to cheek.

"Anytime princess."

She turned to walk towards the dock but stopped in her tracks, slowly turning back to face the vessel. "Hey Smee?" he prodded an eyebrow at her, encouraging her to continue. "Can you tell Killian that I'm sorry? And that I love him? Please?"

"Of course."

With a smile thanking him Emma turned on her heels, slowly and quietly walking down the dock towards the town to find her father's men. She let a tear slip down her cheek, her stomach wrenching as Hook's touch fell like a ghost over face, the image of him wiping it away coming clear in her mind. She looked back, only once, knowing if she did it again she wouldn't be able to stop herself from running back and snuggling up next to Hook, wrapping her arms around him, never letting him go.

She had to do this, as much as it pained her. She had to go home. She had to save her family. And she had to do it without him knowing.


	12. Chapter 11 -- Aftermath

Naturally, it was raining the next morning. In all honesty, the hard pattering of the weather against the pane of the window in the room should have been his first giveaway that something was amiss. But as he extended his arm to the empty, cold sheets his eyes shot open, realizing Emma wasn't curled next to him anymore. "Emma?" he quietly asked to the eerily empty room, his face shifting to a puzzled look. He quickly sat up and looked around the room, feeling his heartbeat quickening. _Maybe she got up early_, he thought to himself as he tore the covers from his legs, running towards the door. He tried to tell himself she had woken the watch the sunrise, that she would be awaiting his company on the top deck as she leaned against the railing of the ship. He tried to keep the image of it in his mind, but a deep ping in his gut telling him he was about to be disappointed. As the cabin door swung open he quickly found his footing against the slick surface of the ship, his eyes darting around the deck.

She wasn't there.

"EMMA!" he called, feeling his voice wavering as he swiftly paced around the vessel, furiously throwing objects aside as he looked for his princess. He pushed in doors, waking the entire crew in the process, his breathing going ragged as he angrily kicked over a box sitting aimlessly on the deck of the ship. The rain was starting to furiously fall, drenching his clothes, but his thoughts were purely focused on finding her. "Emma!" he screamed again, running his fingers nervously through his damp hair, his mind racing with thoughts of where she had gone. She couldn't be gone. No. She wouldn't have left him, not after everything that had happened this week, not after they admitted they loved each other. Not without a proper goodbye. "Where the bloody fucking hell is she?" he asked the empty space around him, his neck careening around as he tried to wrap his thoughts together.

"She's gone captain." The faint voice immediately caught his attention and he whipped around to see Smee cautiously standing a few feet from him, standing underneath the jutted door frame, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"She's what?" Hook asked through clenched teeth, advancing on the man, a feeling of anger pooling in his stomach.

"She's gone. She left last night-"

"Tell me something; how exactly do you know she did?"

Smee sighed, taking off his vibrant red beanie and holding it tightly in his hands. "I watched 'er leave. I tried to stop 'er but she wasn't hearing it. I'm sorry Captain. She told me to tell ye that she's sorry and she loves you-"

Hook immediately pounded the railing with his fist, his knuckles exploding in a shade of white and fingernails cutting half-moon shapes into his palm. His cheeks flushed red with anger, tears of betrayal forming in his eyes and mixing with the rain, before he blinked them away, not wanting his crew to see him like this. "Why in god's name would she up and leave? We made a deal to take her home!"

"She said it was the only way to save ye. Her father's-"

Hook laughed darkly before Smee could continue his tangent, his eyes suddenly clouding with hatred. "Save me? That's a bloody marvelous lie for her to get around betraying my trust. I don't want to hear anymore. I'll be in my cabin today; I suggest you and the crew don't bother me unless you want to meet your watery grave."

Hook stormed off and slammed his door shut, leaning against the wooden surface while leaning his head backwards, finally allowing the tears welling in his eyes cascade down his face. His fingers grabbed the front locks of his hair, gently kneading his forehead simultaneously as he slid down the wall, bringing his knees against his chest. Emma was gone. _She left him_. He cursed himself inwardly, all the self-loathing he had felt for years after Milah's death suddenly coming back in waves. He knew it was too good to be true; finding someone that genuinely cared about him, someone that felt the same sparks he felt when in the presence of each other. Finding someone to love him for his flaws, his imperfections, mistakes. As he fell for Emma he thought that for once in his life something good was going to happen; Emma was a ray of hope, sunshine, in his life. She made him better. And just like that she was out of his life and he felt the light in his heart dim, his heart blackening to the state it was in when he first found the naïve blonde princess wandering in the forest.

_To hell with her,_ he said quietly, keeping his cries silent as not to alert the crew. He palmed his eyes, riding his face of the tears, the tears _she_ caused. She was probably halfway back to her Kingdom now while he sat with a lifeless, numbing feeling in his body, on the hard wooden surface of the cabin. His eyes drifted to his bed and he felt his stomach wrench, flashbacks of their long nights together flooding his thoughts. He could still see her face fresh in his mind, her eyes locking with his as they drew together intimately, her legs curved around his hips, a loving look passing between the two. A look he no longer thought genuine.

He stood to his feet, balancing himself on the table for a moment, before moving to the hidden cupboard and pulling a flash from the dusty shelves. After fiddling with the twisted top he flung the cap to the ground, taking a long pull of the intoxicating liquid before licking his lips and sitting comfortably in the chair.

This was all he needed today; rum. Rum to wash away any images of Emma from his mind. The alcohol would be his escape from everything; a catalyst, just like it had been when he lost Milah. He took another pull, closing his eyes and letting his head fall backward. He began to wish away the memory of her face, the look of her sea green eyes, the way her curls fell over her shoulders so gracefully. As he sank with the burning sensation of the rum making his way down his throat he knew that it would take a lot more than what was in this flask to remove Emma from his mind. For as much as he loathed her in that second, he had loved her and knew deep down that those feelings wouldn't be so easily erased. If they would ever be. But he lifted the flask to the empty air and took another sip, letting it burn through his veins, letting his body fall away, and letting go of his thoughts. _It was going to be one hell of a day_.

* * *

Emma's eyes glanced up quickly at her parent's castle that was standing nobly in front of her, her stomach paining at the idea of being home. She had been away for so long that it didn't feel like home; just another place on her journey. Getting back to her family wasn't as difficult as she had planned. She had approached her father's men cautiously on the shore, greeted with welcoming smiles and praises. Once she calmly explained to them that she just wanted to be taken home and wanted them not to cause Hook any trouble she was pleasantly surprised when they agreed; maybe it was the strain in her voice or the begging glint her eyes. Whatever it was, they didn't question it and rather journeyed back to her Kingdom, meeting with another guard when they were close to coupe her up inside the warm confines of a carriage.

Her lips curled into a trying smile as they made way past the gates, approaching the front patio where she saw her parents standing with gracious tears in their eyes. She sighed deeply, her heart beginning to ache as she pictured Hook waking up to find her gone. Her eyes fluttered a few times, blinking away the tears, taking in a few calm breaths as the carriage came to an abrupt halt and the door opened. Emma put on a smile and let her eyes adjust to the bright sunlight casting down over the walkway. One of the castle guards held his hand out to her, helping her down the small set of stars and protruded off the carriage. As soon as her feet touched the ground two sets of arms were flung around her and she happily both her parents back, a tight lipped smile spreading across her face.

"I'm so happy you're safe," Snow said quietly while holding tight to her daughter, running her fingers slowly through Emma's tangled curls. Emma sighed, a laugh escaping her lips as her tears slipped down her cheeks, realizing in that moment how happy she was to see her parents. To hug them, be near them.

The three stood there for a moment longer, Emma continuing to cry against her father's shoulder as her mom stroked her hair soothingly. She pulled back briefly, smearing the tears across her cheeks, chuckling quietly, happiness flowing through her veins, quickening her heart beat.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Snow began frantically listing off numerous questions and Emma finally put her hands forward, silencing her mother from continuing.

"I'm fine mother, promise. I'm safe and I'm here; let's just focus on that okay?" Emma wasn't entirely ready to even bring up Hook; just his name leaving her lips would be too much for her to handle right now.

"Honey-" Snow stopped her train of thought and pulled back slightly, eyeing over her daughter's appearance. Emma creased her eyebrows together as a look of confusion spread across her mother's face. But as soon as she glanced down she realized what her mother was referring to; the leather pants she donned and the corseted loose shirt hanging off her shoulders. "Honey what are you wearing?"

"Oh… this…" she gestured to her appearance. "My dress got too worn in so this is what he gave me to wear."

"The bastard put you in his clothes?" her father asked angrily through clenched teeth. Emma rolled her eyes, crossed her arms angrily across her chest.

"Actually no he bought these for me." The surprised looked that appeared on both her parent's face made her realize she probably shouldn't have said that; nor sounded as annoyed when she did. She mentally chastised herself and let her eyes trail up to the castle before her. "Listen I don't really want to talk about it, can we just go inside please?"

"Emma-"

"Father, please." Charming glanced at Snow, who returned his gaze with a knowing look. She knew her mother could tell nearly what the underlying meaning was to what Emma had said; mothers always knew. But it wasn't something she wanted to talk about just yet; especially not with her father. Charming sighed loudly and shrugged his shoulders, offering Emma his arm.

"Very well. Let's take you inside and put you in something other than this."

* * *

Emma stood behind the folding screen, carefully drawing the sleeves of one of her dresses up and over her shoulders. She inwardly wished she didn't have to put it on; but as a princess her parents, especially her mother, found it fitting. But the pain that clenched around her stomach as she had rid of her legs of the leather was almost enough to try and convince her mother otherwise; almost. Emma smoothed the wrinkles of the dress and stepped from behind the screen, greeting her mother with a smile. "All back to normal," Snow said quietly while giving her daughter a tight hug. Emma smiled against her shoulder, feeling a warmth cloud around her as she did. _Nothing could beat a mother's hug_. "Let's get you caught up shall we?"

As they sat on the edge of her bed, Snow explained to her, in full detail, everything she missed while she was gone; how once Rumplestiltskin found out Emma had gone missing he took the situation as his opportunity to try and convince Charming and Snow to make a deal with him, to owe him a favor, and he would stop the dark magic. They had considered it, but knew there was no way they could ever be in debt to man like that, and that's when they put out the reward for Emma's safe return. They had only 7 days left until the curse would be cast; 7 days for Emma to marry.

"If we could we'd have you marry tomorrow, but as a mother I'd rather see you have a wonderful and beautiful wedding. I know it's selfish but Eric and his father understand." Emma tried to fake a smile but hearing Eric's name made her stomach wrench. Last she had saw of Eric he was shrinking into the horizon as her and Hook made way on the Jolly Roger. That was going to be interesting to explain to Eric.

"Has he talked to you at all?"

Snow shook her head and grabbed Emma's hands in hers. "Not since he had left to find you." Emma nodded understandingly but kept quiet, not knowing entirely what to say. _So mother, I still loathe Eric and I'm actually in love with the man that kidnapped me. _"Honey what happened while you were away?" The question caught Emma's attention and she looked up to lock with her mother's pleading eyes.

"Nothing mother."

"Emma I know when you're lying. Something happened; I can see it in your eyes. You look heart broken." The pain in her chest was back as she listen to Snow and she bit the inside of her lip to hold back a cry that threatened to leave her lips.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Emma… who was it that took you?" Emma's eyebrows furrowed together as she continued to look at the floor. "We don't know his name."

"Why, are you going to find him and have him killed for taking me?" Emma shot back at her mother, the angry tone in her voice surprising even her.

Snow tried a smile, rubbing her thumb calmingly over Emma's hand. "Not if you don't want us to. He'll be safe."

A long sigh escaped Emma's lips as she finally met her mother's loving gaze, seeing in her eyes that she was telling the truth; Killian would be safe, as long as Emma demanded it. "His name is Killian Jones. He's also known by Captain Hook." The look that instantly spread across Snow's face told Emma that she was very aware of who Killian was; and suddenly a feeling of terror spread through her when the thought that her mother would go back on her word crossed her mind. "Please mother, please don't kill him. Just leave him be."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's with the insisting to keep him safe?"

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat and bit the inside of her cheek. She would tell her mother, eventually, everything that happened. But she couldn't now. She slowly shook her head back and forth and gave Snow a small smile. "Because he's a nice man, whether or not you believe that he is. I just don't want to see him get hurt."

"Emma-"

"Can we please just leave it at that for now?" Snow looked to the ground, gently letting go of Emma's hands and standing up.

"You know you can talk to me about it anytime, right?" Emma nodded silently as she watched her mother disappear to the other side of the door. And as her conscious realized she was alone, the ball of emotion building in her stomach finally burst and she let out a cry as she fell against the bed, riding herself of all the tears she had been holding in all day. Her decision to leave was clearly too much for her to handle and she knew, if she could take it back, she would. Although her thoughts persisted, Emma curled into the warm covers on her bed and let herself be overcome by sleep, her sobs quietly echoing throughout the room as she did. She needed to find a way to be with him, quickly.

* * *

It was now only 4 days before the wedding and Emma hadn't slept nearly at all; her thoughts kept her up most nights and when she would let sleep consume her she'd wake hours later from terrible nightmares, unable to fall back to sleep. Her nightmares differed each night but they all had the same subject; Hook. Whether he was screaming at her, berating her for leaving, or being hung for kidnapping her, they all left her shaken up. She couldn't bury the guilty feelings she felt for leaving without a proper goodbye, especially after how understanding he was about the whole ordeal. Every night she regretted her decision more and more and it took everything in her not to up and run away again, but this time running back to Hook. She knew he hated her, and as much as she wanted to believe he would come find her she knew with his stubborn attitude, much like hers, it wouldn't be for some time, if at all.

With little time to mull about, people began hurriedly running about the corridors and preparing the castle for the wedding. Even under their circumstances, Snow White whole heartedly planned on her daughter's wedding being and extravagant affair; and if Snow wanted that, she was going to get it.

Since her return Emma had found herself keeping quiet alone in her room, sitting perched at her window sill for most of the day, looking out far beyond the confines of the Enchanted Forest. She longed to feel the sea breeze hitting her skin again, the scent filling her lungs, and Hook's strong arms wrapped tightly around her. His touch continued to haunt her like a ghost and if she closed her eyes and let herself go she swore she could physically feel him running his fingertips up her arm, tangling them in her hair, while his lips grazed the skin on her neck. Goosebumps trailed to the top of her skin and her whole body shivered, shaking the thoughts away, as she continued to watch everyone madly dash around the palace courtyard.

Her parents had interrogated her daily, especially Snow, longing to find out what happened with her and Hook. But talking about it, even thinking about it, was too much for her to handle. And as her parents had so much to deal with, listening to her talk about how much she loathed the idea of her situation didn't seem like a pleasant idea.

It wasn't until night had fallen over the castle that a faint knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts. "Who is it?" she called while jumping off the window ledge and making her way to the other side of the room.

"It's Jeffery," a man called out, causing Emma's lips to tug into a smile as she opened the door to come face to face with one of her father's guards. Jeffery had worked with her father for as long as she could remember; even as a young girl she remembered the wise man keeping careful watch on her as she sprinted through the gardens, bouncing happily about. He was a familiar face that had always treated her like a daughter of his own.

"Come in," she offered while moving aside so he could step into the room. Jeffery stood standing in the middle of the room and Emma gestured to the chair, causing him to back up and sit against the wood frame. She sat opposite him and let her hands fall into her lap, prodding him on with a slight nod of her head.

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing well. Your parents said you had been acting differently since you returned."

"Well it was quite a tramatic-"

"Emma, don't lie to me." Emma's eyes widened at the statement, slightly taken aback. "I saw you. I watched you sail his ship out of that port. You didn't look traumatized, and don't tell me that he forced you to do it. The worry that was spread across your face when you thought we were going to board his vessel tells me much otherwise." All she could do was nod her head, letting silence fall between them, noting the understanding look in his eyes as he spoke to her. "You don't have to do all of this you know. The wedding. I don't doubt that your father can find another way to stop the curse."

"Well at the moment this is all we can do. I can't forget about my duties to everyone in this Kingdom, it's not who I am. You know that." Jeffery let out a defeated sigh; they both knew it was true, as much as it pained Emma to admit. She would have to go through with it and figure a plan after everything died down.

Jeffery stood, bowing forward, before sidestepping around the chair. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." And with that invitation an idea hit Emma. An idea to get her Captain back; to get him to help her and show him she still cared. She immediately grabbed Jeffery's wrist to keep him from walking away.

"Wait! There… there is one thing I need…"

* * *

A loud pounding at the door woke Hook from his sleep, not that he had been very consumed by it as it was. He let out a frustrated groan, staying buried beneath the covers. "What," he questioned angrily.

"Captain, you've got a message-"

"Smee now is not a good time," Hook spat back, the door staying shut to his happy surprise. He wasn't entirely in the mood for talking and hadn't been for the past two days.

"But Captain-"

"Not now Smee!" he roared back, annoyance spreading through his body. And as he was about to try and fall back to sleep the door flung open. "Smee what the bloody hell did you not understand about-"

"Captain, it's from Emma."

* * *

**A/N **_**(bottom of the page note woah this is weird)**_**: I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW this seriously leaves SO MANY CLIFFHANGERS but I swear to god you'll find out everything next chapter! I just needed to get something out because I'm really busy this weekend and if I didn't put this out now you wouldn't get a chapter until Monday which I felt was much too long of a wait, especially after all of your amazing reviews last chapter! So, don't worry your pretty little heads, you will get full explanations next chapter! Sorry this was kinda filler-ish, not my best at all, but the next few should be good. Which brings me to my last point; there is actually most likely only going to be two more chapters :( We'll see for sure after I start writing but that's the basic plan right now. Just letting you all know! Thank you again for all your wonderful reviews, I've never gotten that many on a chapter before and it seriously made my week!**


	13. Chapter 12 -- Realizations

**A/N: Sorry about the cliffhangers again! This chapter answers lots of your questions and such, the next chapter will answer some as well. As of right now, the next chapter will actually be the last one sadly :( Now I haven't started writing it yet so I'm not 100% sure but it's most likely going to be the end to the series, aside from the epilogue I'm also planning. Just wanted to give you all a heads up! Also, in this chapter, when it's in Emma's POV it refers to Hook as Killian, but when it switches to Hook's POV he goes back to just Hook. My muse decided that Emma referring to him as Hook at all didn't make any sense. Just wanted to throw that out there. Okay, done rambling. Thank you all again for the reviews and follows! They make my day!**

* * *

"Wait… I actually could use your help," Emma said quietly as her grip around Jeffery's wrist tightened. He prodded her to continue with the raise of his eyebrow and Emma let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in. "You might want to sit down for this."

Jeffery turned back and took a seat once again opposite Emma as she gripped the back of her chair and steadied herself. "I need you to deliver something to Killian Jones, the Captain that took me."

"May I ask why?" he questioned, the glint in his eyes telling her he already had an idea.

"You can't tell my parents about this," she said quickly as he nodded understandingly, his fingers ghosting under his chin. "Jeffery, I fell in love with him. And I just left without a goodbye, without him knowing, and I can't bear the thought of him thinking that everything that happened between us was a lie." She found it curious that she could so easily tell him all of this, but she knew she could trust him. He was like another father figure to her and if he swore he wouldn't tell her parents, then he wouldn't.

"Why haven't you talked to your family about this?" he asked while leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Do you honestly think my father would understand? He would be furious! He wanted to strangle Killian just because he put me in pirate attire."

Jeffery nodded once again, his gaze falling to the floor. "What shall I deliver to him?"

"This whole ordeal started with him wanting to ransom me away so I want you to be sure he receives the reward money, along with a letter from me." Jeffery let a tight smile spread on his lips and Emma saw the sincerity in his eyes, along with the glint of nervousness.

"What am I to tell your father?"

"Tell him, as the Captain did not hurt me and allowed me to come home, he deserves the reward money. I know that he's not going to understand, but have to at least try. Please. Killian has to know why I left; I can't stand the thought of him loathing me forever."

"As you wish," Jeffery says while standing from his chair. "I'll see to it that it gets sent out first thing in the morning. Any idea of how to find him?" Emma felt her heart drop. There were thousands of ports he could be docked in but instead of letting the doubt cloud her thoughts she sat upright and placed her hands in her lap.

"Check all the nearby ports. He couldn't have gotten far. His men won't be traveling quietly, so ask around. He sails the Jolly Roger, someone will have found him." With a nod and small bow forward Jeffery excused himself, slipping behind the door to her room. As soon as she was alone with her thoughts Emma began jotting down the note to Killian, pouring out everything she was dying to tell him, letting her tears stain the paper as she did. Her hand began to shake as she neared the end of the letter and she took a calming breath, trying to rid herself of her nerves.

This had to work. Had to.

* * *

An hour later Emma stared at the finished letter in her hands, taking a sigh of relief, praying that this would help him understand. She knew he was stubborn, but she had a feeling deep down that he would see at least that she wasn't lying. As she was about to venture to find Jeffery and deliver it to him a knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she said warily while hiding the note under a stack of a few papers. She smiled as her mother cautiously entered the room but felt her heart beat quicken as she noticed the look on Snow's face. She looked so concerned, confused, almost upset. Her brain began to rattle with fear the Jeffery had told her. _He promised he wouldn't, he couldn't have, there's no way she knows._

"Evening," Emma said sweetly as the look continued to stay spread on Snow's face. "What's wrong?"

"Honey you know you can talk to me about anything right? _Anything_." Emma bit her lip and let her eyes fall shut for a moment. Snow absolutely knew.

"I know-"

"Then why didn't you," Snow interrupted while crossing her arms across her chest. Emma felt a sting of guilt as she met her mother's eyes that were full of hurt, looking so broken.

"What all do you know?" Emma said quietly, shifting her weight nervously.

Snow let her arms fall to her side before continuing. "I saw Jeffery putting together the ransom money. When I confronted him he was distant, going on about how you requested the Captain get the money for not hurting you. I could tell there was a different underlying meaning and with a little prodding he told me everything, Emma. That you're in love with a pirate."

Emma bit back the reaction to correct her by saying _captain_, but instead took a deep breath and walked towards her mother. "I was going to tell you, eventually, I just couldn't yet. I didn't want you worrying. Especially father, he would be furious, and I just didn't want to deal with it all right now. But the guilt was starting to really get to me and Jeffery just happened to be there at the right time." Emma gladly accepted the hug that Snow engulfed her in, leaning her head against her mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I just wish you would tell me these things without me having to find out from another source." Snow pulled away and gripped Emma's shoulders tightly, holding her gaze. "I'm your mother, I'm not going to judge you or be mad at you. Not about love. I just want you to trust me, okay?" Emma nodded quickly and blinked away the tears in her eyes. She wasn't entirely enjoying all the crying she had endured the past few days but it seemed that once she started she honestly couldn't stop. Snow gave her a sweet smile before letting go of her shoulders.

"You have to let Jeffery go through with it," Emma said quietly, eyeing her mother cautiously to see how she would react. And to her surprise, Snow smiled and nodded once.

"I know. I have every intention to. The man… what did you say his name was?"

"Killian," Emma said sheepishly as she turned from her mother.

"Killian," Snow repeated, and Emma could almost see her brain trying still grasp everything she had just been told. "Well, Killian deserves to know and I'm not going to stop you from telling him. Jeffery mentioned a letter, do you have that?"

Emma answered by wandering to the table and picking up the parchment from under the stack, smoothing the slight wrinkles that had appeared. "This is it," Emma said while holding it out to her mother. Snow smiled and graciously took the note, keeping it face down, which caused Emma to crease her eyebrows.

"It's a personal letter; I'm not going to read it. I'll be sure it gets to Jeffery so he can send it out in the morning."

Emma felt her nerves start getting the best of her, giving her mother a trying smile. "Promise?"

"Of course honey."

"What about dad?" Emma blurted out, crinkling her nose quickly as she did, hoping that Snow wasn't planning on telling him.

"He won't know a thing. You and both know that wouldn't go over well, so you can tell him when you're ready. For now I'll make sure he is completely in the dark about this, so you have nothing to worry about. Okay?" Emma answered by pulling her mother in for a tight hug, smiling against her shoulder as relief washed over her.

"Thank you mom," Emma said quietly as she pulled away. Snow left Emma with a nod and smile, venturing to take the note to Jeffery. All Emma could do now was sit and wait and hope for the best; hope that it would work.

* * *

The next day Emma woke to find a scribbled note resting on her bed side table. She picked up the flimsy paper, rubbing her eyes awake with the side of her hand as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes to read it. She smiled as she read over the words, _it was successfully delivered to one of his crew members this morning, _and suddenly her heart started beating irregularly. Now it was just a game of waiting; Killian had to decide whether or not to accept her apology and she realized she would be anxious about this for the next few days, among other things happening in her life.

With her mind racing she decided to take a stroll through the hallways, smiling at the busy crew as the prepped the castle for her wedding ceremony, the ceremony she was starting to dread more and more as the day quickly approached. She knew that at some point she would have to confront Eric about what he saw between her and Killian, but she didn't even want to think about how he was going to react at the moment.

She turned the corner to stroll down a long corridor when a soft sound of voices caught her attention. There was familiarity in the voices, and she quickly stopped walking, trying to pin point where they were coming from and more importantly, who they were. She took a few cautious steps forward and stood close to the corner down a hall, easily picking up on the voices now. With a silent gasp she realized who was talking.

Eric and his father.

Emma leaned as close to the curve in the wall as she could, not caring how rude it was to be listening in on their conversation. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and there was no way she'd be able to peel herself away now.

"What if she finds out?" Eric asked and Emma furrowed her eyebrows forward. _Who?_

"The princess won't find out. Even if she does find out there is another way to stop this curse it won't matter; it's much too late for it now." Emma's eyes widened as the words left the King's lips. Another way to stop the curse? _What?_ "But you must see to it she doesn't find out."

"Of course father. She won't know a thing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with the caterer to discuss the dinner for the reception. Let me know if anything comes up." Emma stared gaping at the floor, as she listened to the King's footsteps fading down the hall. Suddenly she felt a ball of anger burst deep in her gut and without a second thought she whipped around the corner, coming face to face with Eric. Her eyes narrowed, her body burned, and in the back of her mind she kept the visual of Killian to keep her focus on getting information out of Eric.

"Ah, Emma, pleasant surprise," he said with a smirk and a bow. Emma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

"What's the other way to stop the curse?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop, princess," he said coldly, a devious glint spreading in his eyes. Emma tried to manage her breathing, but her chest continued to rise and fall rapidly.

"I don't give a shit. What's the other cure?" she asked again, advancing towards him. Eric put his hands up quickly, keeping the distance between the two of them while she angrily let her arms fall to her side.

"Easy there. And as far as the other cure, that's not something you're going to find out anytime soon."

Emma's fists clenched tightly together, keeping her narrowed gaze on him. "No I have a feeling you're going to tell me. Now."

He laughed threateningly, a spiteful smile spreading on his face. "Oh Emma. So naïve. Do you honestly think I would tell you? You're nothing but a little princess." Emma's mind flashbacked to her swordfight with the Dread Pirate Roberts and it took everything in her to stop from blurting out how she beat a pirate at his own forte.

"I'll tell my parents you know of another way to stop the curse," she blurted out, looking for another outlet. An excuse; something that would get him to tell her. She was beginning to feel desperate to know

"No you won't." Emma furrowed her eyebrows forward as he continued. "Because if you tell them, or if you call of the wedding, or even if you leave me after this entire ordeal is over we will declare war on your pathetic excuse of a Kingdom. And we'll win, because the Dark One will be on our side."

Horror spread across Emma's face, mixed with a look of distaste as it all sunk in. She shook her head quickly, raising her hands in front of her chest. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me Emma. We're getting married, whether you like it or not. And if you look to leave me after we wed, you're Kingdom will be destroyed. You have no choice but to put on a smile and go through with it. Might as well enjoy it, right?" he said with a malicious smile as he took a step towards her, causing her to step backwards just as quick.

"Bastard," she said, her rough voice even chilling her skin as it left her lips. He laughed again and all Emma could picture was lunging herself at him, fists forward. But instead she began rubbing the wrinkles out of her dress, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"By the way, glad you seemed to enjoy your time on your little excursion you went on. Sadly, he can't save you now. Better practice saying 'I do'," he said before backing away and turning to walk opposite her down the hall. He stopped briefly, turning his head over his shoulder. "As far as the way to stop the curse, even if you knew what it was, it would never work. You're missing half of what the cure needs, and you won't be getting it anytime soon. Enjoy your day, princess." And with that he disappeared around a dark corner, leaving Emma alone in the hallway.

Emma wrapped her arms around her torso, the pain in her stomach wrenching her forward, everything hitting her at once. It was bad enough when she thought there was no other way to escape the curse, but learning there was in fact another way to stop it but having no knowledge as to what it was only caused the hurt for the situation to intensify. She leaned against the wall, clutching her torso, trying to hold back the cry threatening to leave her lips. _I just want this to be over with_, she said softly to herself, letting a tear or two slip over the curve of her cheek.

This wedding was something she couldn't stomach to go through with. Not when she had to wed Eric. She looked up and felt her eyes darken as she made her way back to her room, her mind reeling, ideas of what the other cure was flowing constantly her brain. She had to find a way to fix this, and soon.

* * *

"It's from Emma," Smee said quickly, holding the enveloped parchment in his hand. As soon as Emma's name left Smee's lips Hook's eyes shot open and he sat upright, eyeing the crew member in his cabin.

"Come again?"

"It's a letter from Emma. One of her father's men dropped it off this morning."

"Bring it here," Hook ordered with the gesture of his hand. Smme shuffled his feet towards the Captain and handed him the envelope, a quiet clink coming from inside the package. "You may go now." Smee quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him, as Hook ran his thumb over the material of the envelope. His curiosity was out of control as he opened it, his eyes widening in surprise at what he saw.

The reward money, in coins, nestled tightly in the bottom of the packaging. "What the bloody hell," he asked under his breath as he poured the coins across the top of his bed. The pirate in him was elated; he had no clue why Emma had him sent this, but what sort of a pirate would turn down this much in pure gold? But the other side of him was completely confused, almost wanting to refuse the money. _Was this the reward money for Emma's return?_ Suddenly a small piece of paper caught his eye, one he hadn't realized floated out of the envelope as he poured the coins out. He fiddled with the light paper and unfolded it, his heart stopping as he noticed the neatly written letter, realizing it was from Emma. He leaned his elbows against his knees, his eyes glancing over the letter as he bit his lip once his emotions started boiling over.

_Killian,_

_I know even reading this will be hard so I'm going to try and keep it as short and sweet as I can. First of all, I'm so sorry for leaving, for lying, for everything. I know you feel like I betrayed you and that everything I said and did was a lie but I assure you it wasn't. I love you Killian. You make me want to be a better person. You've let me travel and see the world from a completely different perspective than I would have had otherwise. I've seen and experienced new things because of you. You see and get to the real me; a woman that only wants to fight for what she wants, rather than a naïve princess that's lived sheltered her whole life. From the moment I stepped on your ship you treated me like a person, even though you were holding me captive. And I knew then that there was something entirely special about you Killian. I had no clue I would fall so in love with you and so in love with being around you. I've never felt so complete around someone, and I can't wait until I get to see you again._

_Along with this letter you'll find the reward money. I know you didn't want any compensation for allowing me to leave, although you weren't really aware it was happening, but I sent it anyway. Please accept it._

_I swear to you Killian, I will find a way for us to be together. Even if I have to wait until my dying day to do so, I will never stop fighting. Nothing can keep me from you, not even this curse. I know you're still mad, and understand why, but I hope you can accept my apology. I love you Killian, and all I'm asking is that you wait for me._

_All my love, Emma_

As he read the last of the letter he let the tears fall down his face, the image of Emma sitting and writing this appearing in his mind. His fingers ran over the paper in secluded spots were it had slightly roughed and wrinkled, as the realization that the paper was tear stained finally hit him, causing a quiet cry to leave his lips. The stubborn thoughts in his head were screaming at him to not believe her, to crumple up the paper and forget about the girl that had managed to steal away his heart. But everything else in him burned to see Emma again, to hug her, kiss her, get her back, and after reading the letter he knew she meant every word of it. There was no questioning her actions and motives anymore; all he wanted was her back in his life, in his arms.

He quickly threw the sheets off his legs and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, throwing it over his shoulders and rushing to the deck of the ship.

"Man the sails, hoist the anchor! We're making berth, quickly men!" The crew gave him a confused look before prepping the ship to set sail without question. Hook sprinted up the stairs to stand behind the helm, watching over the crew as they paced around the ship. Smee ran up to Hook as the captain tightly grasped the pegs around the wheel.

"What's going on? Where are we goin'?" Smee asked as a smile spread on Hook's face.

"To Emma's Kingdom. I'm going to get her back, if it's the last thing I do."


	14. Chapter 13 -- Saved

**A/N: WELL THIS IS IT. The final chapter. Holy hell. I can't believe it's finished with. Since the final chapter most of my notes will be at the end so I will halt the rambling and let you read!**

* * *

Emma stood in front of her floor length mirror, her hands toying with the delicate lacing of the pure white dress she found herself in. Today was the day. Her wedding day. It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life but all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed until she cried herself to sleep. While she could admit that it may have been impractical to hope Killian would show up and steal her away, she honestly had convinced herself he somehow would. Clearly a mistake on her part. She took a deep breath, fisting her dress tightly in her hands while trying her best to ignore the tears pooling behind her lashes. Her only option now was to be strong and go through with this; she had tried to figure out the cryptic reasoning that Eric had given her, but nothing came to mind. While there was a way to break this curse, she had no idea what it could be and the fact that she didn't continually ate away at her well-being. A knock at her door pulled her from her ever running thoughts and she called for the person to come in, her heart silently hoping that maybe, just maybe it was Killian.

Of course, it wasn't.

As terrible as it might be, she actually felt her heart falter when her father emerged from the other side of the door. A look of admiration filled his face as he met her gaze and she gave him a trying smile; after all, her still believed that she couldn't be happier to be marrying Eric.

"Emma," he said quietly while taking in the sight of his daughter in her wedding dress. He looked so proud, so happy, and Emma couldn't stop the feeling of guilt welling in her stomach, knowing that he was so in the dark about the entire situation. She bit the inside of her lip as he wrapped her into a loving hug, holding back the emotions threatening to leave her lips in the form of a cry. But as he pulled back and looked in her eyes, she could almost feel him reading her entirely; seeing the pain, the hopelessness she was feeling. Even with the smile that tried to spread on her face she couldn't hide it.

Charming grasped her shoulder gently while letting out a slow sigh. "I'm sorry he didn't show."

Emma stood, mouth agape, for what felt like an eternity. She wasn't sure she even heard him correctly. "What… wh-"

"Emma I know everything."

She was shocked, completely shocked. Her ears felt like they were ringing endlessly and sudden fear washed over her, her thoughts immediately falling to her father going after Killian. She tried to formulate a sentence but nothing came out as she continuing gaping at Charming who simply chuckled at her stunned expression.

"I've known since you told Snow. I don't think she was planning on telling me, but you know you're mother. She's not good at hiding things, or lying about them when she gets caught." The smile on Charming's face as he talked about his wife caused Emma to give him a small smile, her thoughts still worrying about Killian's safety. "I know about the letter and sending him the reward money. The whole situation seemed a bit suspicious to me and when I asked Snow what was going on she caved and told me, but made me promise not to tell you that I knew." Emma nodded and sternly looked up at her father, keeping a serious exterior.

"You can't hurt him," Emma suddenly blurted out, a small part of her regretting it as it left her lips. Charming laughed once again, shaking his head at his daughter.

"Emma, I could never intentionally hurt the man you love. Even if I find his life choices questionable, there must be something good in him if you've fallen for him. I trust your judgment," Charming responded, slightly tensed, showing Emma that he definitely wasn't entirely okay with everything. But he was trying; and that was all that mattered to her.

"Thank you," she said, allowing the smile tugging at her lips to spread from cheek to cheek. Charming pulled her into a tight hug, gently kissing the side of her head. Emma let all the fears escape her body and she suddenly felt more relaxed than she had in days.

"He'll show," Charming said quietly while pulling back, watching as Emma crossed her arms in front of her torso. "You just have to have hope. If he feels the way you feel about him he'll get here eventually. Plus, if he doesn't I might have to cut off his other hand." Emma let out a quiet laugh, trying to find hope in the whole situation like her father suggested. Charming gave her a small wave before backing towards the door. Just as he reached the frame he turned back towards his daughter, meeting her gaze. "Please remember you can trust me with anything." Emma nodded and gave him a reassuring smile and he excused himself from the room. She allowed herself to let back the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in and let her gaze fall to the window. In a few paces she found herself next to the window ledge, scanning the area around the castle. People on the patio were wandering about, chatting and laughing, not know the internal agony this wedding was causing. Emma's eyes looked out beyond the Enchanted Forest and she shut her eyes tightly, pulling at every wishing thought in her head, silently hoping he would show.

* * *

"Bloody hell, get her going faster!" Hook screeched at the crew that was frantically trying to speed up the Jolly Roger. They had already been traveling at an incredibly fast pace, faster than Hook had actually known the vessel to go, but it wasn't fast enough. Not to get to Emma in time. They had sailed all through the night, many of them were running on only minutes of sleep, and the tension was starting to fill hull of the ship as everyone worked away at keeping her sailing fast.

"Captain she can't sail faster!" one of the men finally called out. Hook narrowed his gaze, gripping the helm tighter.

"Then make her," he said through clenched teeth, causing the man to shake his head and continue to pull at the ropes, angling the sails to catch the wind just right. Hook tapped his fingers nervously, casually steering the wheel to the left and the right to keep the Jolly Roger on course. He had calculated again and again, trying to figure a way to make it in time, but every time he reconsidered all he could seem to find was that they would arrive too late to stop the wedding. A feeling of hopelessness suddenly flooded over him and he let his stare fall to the deck of the ship. While he knew he needed to get back, he couldn't fathom the idea of Emma marrying someone else, no matter the circumstances. He couldn't let her go through with it.

"There has to be some way…" he said under his breath, letting his eyes fall to the water surrounding them. The Jolly Roger was the fastest ship in the land and yet he couldn't will her to go faster than she would allow. Maybe; just maybe, they would make in time. If they sailed nonstop, no breaks, no sleep, they might be able to. It was almost a pipedream but he would will it to work if it was the last thing he did. "None of this would have happened if I would have just gone after her in the first place," he mumbled to himself, mentally chastising his stubborn qualities, wishing he would have just swallowed his pride and followed her after she left.

But he pushed the thoughts of the past away, focused on what was happening in the present. Because that was all that mattered now; and he had to get to his princess.

* * *

Silence. That was all she felt as she stood behind the double wide doors. The silence was filling her brain, racking her thoughts away, and she felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest. Dimly she could hear the crescendo of music echoing in the hall where the ceremony was being held. This was it. The moment she had been dreading the past few days. Soon those doors would open and she would have to walk down the aisle to be married to man she didn't love; a man she would never love, not as long as Killian was still alive. The fact that she fell so hard, so fast for Killian still astounded her, but she knew that if she tried to lie to herself and forget him it would only cause her more pain in the end.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and waited. Waited for the doors to open. Waited to face what the rest of her life was to be.

And then the doors opened.

But not the doors she was anticipating.

Her body whipped around as the front doors of the castle flew open with a loud creak, shock immediately falling across her face. She dropped the bouquet that was in her hands, her mouth hanging open wildly as she met the gaze of the person behind the door.

"Killian?" she croaked out, beginning to believe her eyes were deceiving her. It all felt too perfect, like a dream, and the last thing she wanted to do was to get her hopes up and believe something this wonderful was real when in reality it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. But there he was, in all his leather, his hook catching the sunlight.

"Emma," he said breathlessly as they both stood opposite one another, shock keeping their feet from moving. Emma felt the tears stinging her eyes, happiness flushing through her whole body.

And then she ran.

She ran like her life depended on it; straight into his welcoming arms. He enveloped her in a strong hug, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around, relief flooding him as he realized he made it in time. He set her gently back down on the ground while keeping a tight hold around her waist, afraid if he let her go he wouldn't get her back; and he wasn't going to risk that, not again. Emma's hand traced an invisible line down his jawline as her eyes filled with tears, still somehow not believing this was happening.

"What… what-"

"What kind of a pirate would I be if I didn't come to whisk away a princess on her wedding day?" he said with a smirk.

"How… how, how did-" she tried to find the words, but Hook brought his hand up, brushing it across her lips and stopping her from continuing.

"I couldn't let you go through with this, Emma. I can admit I may have not planned on coming to find you this quickly; until I got your letter." Emma beamed up at him, gripping the side of his face tighter. "Although I may be stubborn at times, it really made me realize how important you are to me. So we sailed ceaselessly for the past few days and now I'm here. Not sure how we managed to stumble upon your castle before you were married, but I think it's safe to assume it was fate."

The laugh that escaped Emma's lips was mixed with a quiet cry, a tear slipping down her right cheek. She stayed tangled in his arms, never wanting to let go; she had no intention of doing so. She tilted her head up to look at him and smiled as he began leaning down towards meet his lips until a loud crash behind them caught both of their attention.

"Emma quick we need to get-"

Emma and Killian pulled away from one another as the doors to the hall opened wide, revealing a disheveled Eric who's face twisted from almost worry to anger as he saw Killian standing beside Emma.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he asked through clenched teeth. Emma noted as his hands balled into fists and she instinctively latched onto the lapels of Killian's jacket, pulling herself against him once again, suddenly fearing that Eric was going to lunge at the two of them.

"Eric, listen-" Emma started before she felt Killian wrap an arm around the front of her body, pulling her slightly behind him.

"You're not going to take away her choice of how she wants to live her life," Killian spat at Eric, toying with the sword at his waist.

Eric let out a dark laugh before looking towards Killian. "What exactly are _you_ going to do about it, pirate? There are guards all around this castle. If you so much as look at me wrong they'll lock you up until you rot away in your jail cell."

Emma scoffed and moved forward but Killian's arm tightened around her, keeping her from going anywhere. "Trust me, mate, if there is one person that doesn't scare me it's you. You're out to ruin the rest of Emma's life and that doesn't sit well with me." As Killian moved to draw his sword, Snow and Charming, as well as Eric's father, suddenly walked up behind Eric. Emma bit the inside of her lips, realizing that everyone that was in attendance could probably hear the bickering happening.

"Emma?" Snow asked quietly while moving her gaze from Emma to Killian and back to Emma again.

"He showed," Charming said in disbelief, prodding a raise of an eyebrow from Killian who looked at Emma to try and get an explanation. All she did was send him a knowing look while pulling herself closer against him, not caring who saw them anymore.

"What is going on? Who is this?" Eric's father bellowed while motioning towards Killian. Snow's gaze quickly found the ground while Charming's fell to his wife, neither of them answering while the man stood bewildered. Emma could almost see him piecing everything together, his eyes widening as he looked towards them. "Is this the man that kidnapped you?"

Emma looked to Killian's face and back, slowly nodding her head as Killian's grip around her tightened. "Yes, yes it is."

"Why in god's name is he here? Guards!" Emma's eyes widened in fear but before she could speak her father stepped between them and Eric's father, his hands rising in front of his chest in a calming motion.

"Before we do something drastic-"

"Drastic? You're allowing his thief to step foot inside this palace, while running his uncivilized hands all over your daughter! Who, mind you, is _marrying_ my son."

"I don't _want_ to marry Eric!" Emma screamed. Silence quickly fell over the group and Eric and his father looked at her, completely astonished.

"Pardon me?" Eric's father asked. Emma rolled her eyes at the question; she knew he was aware of her resentment.

"I said I don't _want_ to marry Eric." Emma pushed Killian's arm down and stepped forward, carrying herself with the confidence she had finally found again. "I don't love him; I don't want to marry him."

The king chuckled, garnering a glare from Emma and her parents. "What do you know about love you foolish girl?"

"I know that this," she said while gesturing between her and Eric, "is not love."

"Why does it matter to you so much? And why are you so insistent on keeping this monster safe?" The King's gaze rose towards Killian and Emma clenched her fists, her blood beginning to boil with the constant digs they continued to throw at him.

"He's not a monster."

"How can you even say that?" Eric suddenly said. "He _kidnapped_ you. How can you think that-"

"Because I love him!"

You could hear a pin drop from the silence that fell after she said that. She had literally rendered Eric and his father speechless. Emma made a quick glance at her parents who were proudly smiling back at her and a wave of relief washed over her, realizing that no matter they would have her back. Eric and his father exchanged worried glances before the king cleared his throat.

The nervous look that fell over the two of them confused her and she tried to read their faces, understand why they looked so terrified.

"Well that doesn't matter because marrying my son is the only way to break the curse."

Before Emma could object and argue, saying she knew that there was another way, everything suddenly flooded over her and she couldn't believe she didn't think of it before. "_You're missing half of what the cure needs"._ The nervous glances, Killian's presence, and the sudden sharp posture that Eric and his father both carried themselves with caused Emma to realize the other way. _Killian was the other half._ It was known everywhere that while dark magic was extremely powerful the most powerful magic of all was true love. True love's kiss. She quickly turned back towards Killian, looking at him with a wide eyed gaze. Emma wasn't sure if he was her true love, and something in her heart tried to tell her he wasn't out of fear, but she knew that she loved him and that she had to try. She had to know; see if it would work.

"No, it's not," she said while quietly moving in front of Killian, cupping the side of his cheek and mirroring the smile he was giving her. She leaned close, grazing the top of his lips, before whispering, "Kiss me like your life depends on it."

Their lips met and for a moment it felt like the world had stopped turning. Emma kept her focus on saving her parents, her Kingdom, on Killian's face and stopping all of this from happening. Her mother had told her as a child that she was the product of true love and had some magic pulsing through her because of it. But, until now, she hadn't known a moment to try and use it. As Killian kissed her back hard she felt a pulsation around her, sending a shockwave through her whole body. But instead of pulling back she wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him flush against her, savoring the magic flooding between them. Finally she pulled back, eyes tightly shut, ignoring the gasps from the people around her. A smile spread across her face as she met his gaze, letting her body fall against his chest, never planning on letting this feeling go soon.

"What the hell just happened?" Eric asked. Emma furrowed her eyebrows and realized that the pulse she felt must not have just been between her and Killian, but something that shook everyone. Snow quickly rushed past her, opening the front door, and looking out beyond the courtyard. There, high the sky, sparked some sort of bubble; a barrier almost. Emma was in shock as her and Killian moved hand in hand to stand next to her mother, looking out at the scene in front of them.

"True love's kiss. It's the most powerful magic of all," Snow said, her voice wavering with astonishment.

"You mean… I…" Emma trailed off while raising her eyes to the shield planted firmly around their Kingdom.

"Yes honey. You did that," Snow responded. Killian's eyes widened at he looked down at Emma, a look of admiration filling his face.

"Wow," he said simply while pulling her against his chest, planting a kiss on her temple. "Sorry, I'm a bit new to all of this, what exactly does this entail?"

Snow couldn't hold back a small laugh and Emma smiled into his chest. "Emma's the product of true love; therefore she has magic in her that most people don't. And with true love's kiss it heightens that magic. Since she's so focused on saving us, she was able to make that, which should keep us safe from whatever curse Rumplestiltskin is planning," Snow said to him. "It didn't break the curse, but it'll stop us from being taken over by it."

"So… what do we do now?" Emma asked.

"I know where we can start." The three of them turned to look at Charming whose gaze was hardened in the direction of Eric and his father. "You two need to leave. Now."

"Excuse me?" the king asked, clearly affronted by the request.

"You heard me. You insulted my daughter, you insulted Killian, and you lied to all of us. Just to try and interweave your family with ours. Get out, or I will have my guards make sure you do." With the last of his sentence, realizing they had been figured out and with nothing else to say to try and change everyone's minds, the two of them quickly rushed past Snow, Killian and Emma, and out the front door.

"Thanks mate," Killian said with a small smirk towards Charming. Charming responded with an eye roll and quickly grasped his shoulder, locking their stares.

"You hurt her, and you're losing the other hand. _Savvy_?"

"Aye. You've nothing to worry about," Killian said while extending his hand to him. Charming obliged and gave him a hard pat on the back, which caused Emma's lips to curl into a smile. As they pulled back Snow laced her fingers with her husband's, pulling him towards the hall.

"Come on, we need to go explain to everyone what just happened." With a smile they left Emma and Killian alone, the two of them meeting with another kiss, Emma's body filling to the brim with happiness as she realized everything was going to be okay; her happy ending was going to happen.

* * *

The initial aftermath of the wedding was chaotic; people were panicked, frantically running about, especially with the thought that the shield bubbled around their Kingdom wouldn't actually hold when the curse hit. But, sure enough, when the curse arrived it simply blanketed the outside of the defense, keeping everyone inside it safe from whatever the curse had planned to bring. Emma couldn't help the proud smile as she looked out over the Kingdom that had fallen into peaceful sleep after the day's long celebration. The smile continued to tug at her lips as two strong arms wrapped tightly from behind her. She leaned backwards, relishing in his hold, and tilted her head to meet his stare.

"Have I told you how bloody brilliant you are," Killian said with a low voice against the shell of her ear, burying his face into her neck.

"You may have mentioned it a few times." Emma shifted her body and turned to face him, feeling her cheeks blush a deep shade of red as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'm so glad you came back."

"I always planned on doing so, my ego just furthered the wait," he said with a light chuckle. "Sorry I cut it a bit close."

"You made it and that's all that matters." Emma linked her arms around his back, leaning her head sideways against his chest, taking in his signature scent of leather and salt water. That scent she missed so much while they were apart. They stood silently taking in the warmth embrace of the other, and although they weren't saying anything, Emma could tell there was a similar feeling there; the feeling of hope and thankfulness of being with each other, a feeling of love. "So what do we do know?" Emma finally asked quietly.

"That's a good question love," he responded while embracing her tighter. "It's going to be somewhat of a difficult situation to deal with, and I may have to go back to the crew soon, explain everything. You're more than welcome to join me aboard anytime, but I understand if you want to-"

"I'd love to," Emma said while cutting him off, her enthusiasm showing clearly in her tone.

"Eager to get back to sea?" he teased.

She pulled back and smiled up at him. "As long as I'm with you, definitely." Killian leaned forward and brought their lips together and Emma couldn't stop herself from sighing against him. Their lips lost contact but she kept his face brushing against hers. "Maybe after a while we can come back here though? I don't want to be away from home for too long."

"As strange as it is to confess this, that sounds like a wonderful plan." Emma couldn't wipe the smile of her face if she tried and she turned back around, lacing her fingers with his that spread across her torso. Killian leaned his chin on her shoulder, trailing a line of kisses from her shoulder to her jawline. "Emma?" A quiet noise of questioning left her lips, urging him to continue. "I hope you understand I fully plan on giving you the happy ending you deserve." The happy tears were suddenly back, pooling behind her eye lids, and she continued to look out the window at the stars, letting him keep talking. "Maybe soon, maybe not, but eventually I will find a way to give it to you. You're my everything Emma; you saved me, made me a better person. And I can't thank you enough for it."

Emma's hand gripped over the top of his the more the words spilled out of his mouth and she honestly was left speechless. All she could think to do was keep her body flush against him as she could, silently letting a few tears slip down her cheeks.

"You're mine too, Killian. I love you," she finally said breathlessly. She couldn't see the smile spread across his face as he leaned his forehead on her shoulder.

"I love you too Emma."

She never thought that the day he stole her away he would end up stealing her heart as well. But it happened, and Emma could never express how thankful she was for it. It was crazy, and probably irrational to some, but nothing in the world could pull her away from the strong feelings she felt. She promised in that moment she would never leave him again, no matter the circumstances.

Hardships or not, they would face everything side by side; together. And, by some strange twist of fate, they would find their happy ending with each other.

The princess and the pirate. Who knew.

* * *

**A/N: Took a few creative liberties with the whole "true love's kiss" magic, but hey it's an AU story and I can do so if I feel like it :p And that, my friends, is the end! There will be a little epilogue posted in a few days as well, but it will most likely not be nearly as long as the regular chapters were. Just a little chapter to talk about what happens after all is said and done. So, with that said, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE. It's been such a fun story to write, and it seriously feels good to finally be back to writing fics, I've missed it. Thank you for the reviews, the follows, all of that. You guys are all incredibly wonderful and this has been a really fun ride. Over the next few weeks I might plan out a new fic but this time actually get all of it written BEFORE I publish it, so that way I can update more frequently! I'm thinking maybe a Neverland fic to hold us over during the summer ;) I might also possibly be writing an AU story, as per requested by someone on Tumblr. We'll just have to see! Thank you again!**


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: And here is the epilogue! Sorry it took a while to get out, I JUST finished finals so it was a bit busy up to yesterday morning. Thank you again to everyone that read this, you guys are amazing! Be on the lookout for something new from me coming sometime this summer; not sure exactly what it will be but there will be something. And as far as this chapter is concerned, I figured I should leave you guys with some smut (as someone did guess in the reviews ha). So, enjoy ;)**

* * *

**2 years later**

Emma inhaled a deep breath as she took in her appearance, blinking back the joyful tears pooling behind her eyes. The white dress was corseted tight on her chest, flowing out around her legs at the curve of her waist. She slowly ghosted her fingers over the fabric, letting her lips curl into a smile. She felt nervous, anxious excited; but above all that, she finally felt happy.

This. This is what her wedding day is supposed to feel like.

After Emma had successfully saved her entire Kingdom, she and Killian, along with her parents, sat down to figure out where to go from there. Emma missed being out at sea, and knowing that Killian had to get back to his crew and explain to them what had happened, her parents let her leave with him for nearly a year, even with the apprehension from her father. They traveled far a wide, saw places Emma had never thought she would see, and as cheesy as it sounds, she found herself falling more in love with Killian every day. They had some hardships, as everyone does, but they always found a way to get around them; together. Just like they had said they would face everything.

Once Killian could come to terms with not being out on the Jolly Roger for some time, they moved back to the Kingdom. It had only been a few weeks into settling in, getting Killian acquainted to not living out a sea, when he asked Emma to take a walk with him through the garden. The flowers were beautifully in bloom, coloring the area with vibrant pinks and yellows. They found themselves in the middle of the garden, fingers intertwined, when Killian grabbed her attention with a slight tug on her hand. He spoke softly to her, going on about how special she was to him, how she changed his life; his voice wavering as he did. And to her immediate surprise he suddenly dropped down to one knee, a genuine smile flashing across his face as their eyes met. He could barely get the question out before Emma threw her arms around his neck with a resounding _yes_.

And now here she found herself, half a year later, on her wedding day. For real this time. The atmosphere around the castle was so different that from the situation before, the chatter filling her heart happily and Emma finally found the will to let herself be consumed by that happiness. She toyed with the ring around her finger and smiled, knowing that she was about to marry her best friend; her true love.

* * *

The wedding was a beautiful sight to behold. They held it outside in the courtyard, per Emma's request, with her parents singing silent praises that the weather had held out for them. The area was lined with pink and white daisies, with white drapery curving along from pillar to pillar. With a soft music accompaniment Emma made her way down the aisle, nervously keeping note of her footing. She tried to keep a strong outer shell but as soon as her eyes met Killian's she let a quiet laugh and cry leave her lips at the look of admiration on his face. She was led down the aisle by her father, giving him a grateful smile when he kissed her forehead before offering her in the direction of Killian. Much of the actual ceremony was blur to Emma as she found herself getting lost multiple times in Killian's sea blue eyes, with the exception of their tearful vows and unquestionable _I do's_.

The reception lasted through the night, everyone partaking in the general merriment, some with more liquid courage than others. As night fell on them, slowly pulling them into the early morning hours, Killian linked his fingers with Emma's and excused them two of them from the festivities. Full of smiles, they made their way to a master suite they would be staying in for the night, located far away from the rest of those finding their slumber in the palace.

As they neared the room Emma soon felt herself being lifted off the ground, letting out a startled laugh as Killian cradled her into his arms, taking careful note to bunch up the dress with her and not let his hook rip through anything.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked while linking her arms loosely around his neck.

"Well I may be a simple pirate, but I am aware of the custom that on one's wedding night the groom carries the bride to the bedroom." Emma playfully rolled her eyes with the suggestive raise his eyebrows made towards her, letting her upper body lean against him. They reached the door and Emma grasped the handle, opening it wide as Killian kept his pace moving straight for the bed, laying her gently down before hovering above her. "My beautiful wife," he said quietly before meeting her lips. Emma pressed her hands against his chest, detaching them from each other briefly and laughing at the confused look Killian was giving her.

"Can I please get out of the dress first? I don't want to ruin it."

"By all means, be my guest," Killian said with a wink while rolling off to the edge of the bed, removing his hook and placing it on the table, while eyeing Emma as she pried herself off the bed. She pulled the side zipper down and locked her gaze with his as she released the material and let the dress fall into a heap on the floor, smirking at his stunned expression. She had on the same blue laced corset she had bought with him in the village market during their first escapade on the ship, and by the look on his face and the way he let his tongue fall over his lips, she knew he remembered too.

"Something blue, right?" She quickly reached the edge of the bed, crawling towards him and settling on her knees next to him as close as she could be, cupping his face in her hand and grazing her lips over the top of his. "Pants. Off. Now."

As soon as the demand left her lips he began fumbling with the lacing on the leather pants he _insisted_ on wearing and pried them off while Emma slowly began working on the buttons of his over shirt. Immediately as his pants fell to the floor she pushed him against the headboard of the bed, keeping him sitting upright, and straddled herself across his lap. He let a groan escape as she settled herself down against him, a smirk tugging on her lips as she continued unbuttoning his shirt. Once she reached the last button she quickly threw it over his shoulders and onto the floor, immediately letting her hands run up and down his chest. "Emma," he said breathlessly as she began ghosting kisses along his collar bone, teasing him with a shift of her hips, proudly smiling at the continuous gasps falling from his lips. "Gods you're a tease." His hand trailed up the curve of her hip, running along the corset as he fondly remembered the night he discovered she had gotten it, his thoughts being quickly interrupted as Emma brought their lips together again in a searing kiss.

Killian's tongue quickly slid across her bottom lip and she gladly parted them, deepening the kiss as she did. He tugged at the laces of the corset and pulled it from her chest, letting it gently fall to the floor near the edge of the bed, before turning his attention to her underwear. His fingers looped around the side and he briefly pulled away, groaning as Emma then turned her attention to the spots on his neck that drove him wild. "Emma… love… do you have any sort of emotional attachment to these?" His sentence came on ragged as she gently sucked on his pulse point, gripping his shoulders tightly before pulling back and meeting his gaze with a prodded eyebrow.

"No… why?"

As soon as the answer left her lips Killian gave the material a quick tug, ripping them in half as the torn and now useless fabric was thrown to the corner of the room. Emma gapped at him, ignoring the look of complete triumph plastered across his face. "Was necessary?" she said playfully, her hips grinding down, teasing both of them as a gasp fell simultaneously from their lips.

"Entirely. I much prefer you like this," he said while trailing his eyes down her body, as Emma's cheeks flushed a shade of red. No matter how many times they found themselves together like this; this intimately, she still found herself blushing whenever he would just stare at her, taking her in. There was something about the glint in his eyes that caused her stomach to fill with butterflies, but not enough to cause her to want to cover herself up. "You are so beautiful. And all mine."

"And all yours," she reassured him while capturing his lips again. She could feel the love in his kiss as he gripped her hip tightly, pushing her downwards and rocking his hips slightly, hinting at what wanted; needed. With a quick shift of her hips she finally gave it to him, a gasp escaping her lips as she leaned her head against his shoulder before slowly moving herself against him. As she set the leisurely pace he raised his hips to meet hers, neither of them thinking to quiet the gasps and sighs beginning to loudly fill the room. Killian wrapped his arm around her back before flipping them over, groaning at the brief loss of contact. Their eyes soon met, piercing each other, full of love and desire, and he combed the loose strands of hair from her face.

"I love you so much Emma," he said quietly and Emma smiled, blinking away the tears filling her eyes.

"I love you too." And with that he slowly took her again, making it last, making it count, never wanting to forget how perfect the moment was. He drilled in his mind the feeling of her hands on his skin, the way her touch burned everywhere it trailed, the blissful sounds tumbling from her lips and the sweet encouragements falling against his ear. The way the felt tangled together and how their bodies seemed to piece perfectly against one another. They had made love countless times before but this; this was special. This was their wedding night. This was when they could finally say they were each other's without the doubt in the world. Emma was Killian's and Killian was Emma's. And though there was undoubtedly going to be hardships this was the way it would be, always, until the end of time.


End file.
